The Joys of Team 7
by crimsonbutterfly21
Summary: Team 7's teamwork is failing again so Kakashi decided to put them into a test. In order to do their mission, the team has to sacrifice something important to them. The Last Potato Chip Part 3 is here! Please R & R!
1. Failing Teamwork

**The Joys of Team Seven **

Prologue: Failing Teamwork

* * *

It was a fine sunny day in Konoha. The bright sun flashing its golden rays warming the entire village with happiness and contentment making its people count their blessings every now and then. Everything was at peace.

That is, until something doesn't want it to stay long…

* * *

"What did you say, teme!"

"You heard me dobe!"

Hatake Kakashi a renowned Anbu then an aspiring Jounin instructor shook his head in annoyance as two of his 'aspiring' team bickered on and on like little children. It was nine o' clock in the morning and apparently, things are going worse as it seems.

He looked at their pink – haired teammate who was tampering down on her temper until she couldn't take it anymore. "Stop it you guys! We shouldn't be so noisy this early in the morning!"

The blond one, famed for his loudmouthed – ness was cussing angrily with his raven – haired teammate who was so pissed off at something – or someone.

"I don't want to work with you dobe, you'll keep slowing us down!" Sasuke ranted, crossing his arms in front of him. Sakura was holding down a very angry Naruto who was on the verge of strangling his teammate.

"Let me at him, Sakura – chan! Let me at him!" Naruto wailed, struggling helplessly.

Sakura tightened her hold on him. "No, Naruto! And I'm not going to let you go until you calm down!"

Kakashi decided to butt in. "Alright, that's enough. We're already late for our mission and it's about time you stop this now." Sakura managed to put Naruto down and stepped in between him and Sasuke. Kakashi coughed to get their attention.

"Okay, here goes," he began. "You guys, how are we going to finish all of our missions in flying colors if both of you will not work together?" The two boys exchanged glares.

"He started it!" Both boys exclaimed.

Sweatdrops appeared in the backs of Kakashi and Sakura's heads. This is getting worse. Somehow, Sasuke and Naruto must once again undergo training about teamwork or else…

"You two, you're not going to take up missions starting today," Kakashi announced seeing both boys' faces turn to horror. Sakura stared at her sensei as if he was joking.

"Sensei, surely you don't mean that," she said, startled.

Kakashi narrowed his gaze. "Sakura, I mean it. Until Sasuke and Naruto realize the importance of teamwork, nothing good will come out of our missions if two comrades are fighting each other." He winked at her. "It will be bad for us."

Naruto stared at Kakashi in disbelief. "Kakashi – sensei! If you're thinking of this as a punishment, let Sasuke experience this and take me with you!"

Their sensei shook his head. "I'm not going to do that."

Naruto knelt down and hugged Kakashi's legs together. "Nee, nee, Kakashi – sensei! I promise, I won't pick a fight with Sasuke anymore. Just let us do the mission!" He gave Kakashi a puppy dog – like expression. Complete with tears.

Sasuke ran his hand through his hair and sighed wryly. To think that they were already chuunins at this age, Naruto still didn't let go of his childish antics not one bit. He glanced at Sakura who was giggling at the scene.

Kakashi somehow got a soft spot. He was a dog lover after all. "Alright, I'll give you both a chance." Naruto hopped back to his standing position and Sasuke strained his ears for what was to come. He stared at both boys and spoke, "Tomorrow morning, we'll meet at the training area."

"E – ehh? Kakashi – sensei, are we going to go training in getting the two bells? Isn't that already old?" Naruto teased, his smile widening by the second.

Kakashi coughed. "No. This time, I'm going to give you **_three_** another test."

Sakura's eyes widened. "What? Even me?" Both boys snickered. At least they're not alone. She glared at them for including her at their fault.

"Well, since you're Team 7," Kakashi reasoned. "Don't worry, you'll enjoy the test I'm going to give you. And since you three are growing stronger by the day, it's time to put those skills to a test."

Naruto whooped happily. "Yeah! A chance to get at Sasuke – bastard!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes while Sakura scolded Naruto to tone his voice down. Kakashi took one last look at his students, a plan forming inside his head. This will be fun.

* * *

Later that night, Kakashi hunched over at his desk for hours. He was thinking of a new test to boost his team's unity at the cost of his sleep and twenty – seven cups of coffee that he drank. He stared at the paper he was scribbling then sighed as he crumpled it and threw it in the already filled wastebasket.

"No. No. Umm no?" he muttered as he write another idea then crossing it out. His hands flung to the sides of his head. Concentrate! I need to get this done before tomorrow!

After writing nonstop for five hours, Kakashi finally got his well – deserved sleep.

* * *

Morning came and as usual, the three used – to – be genin cellmates awaited their sensei in front of the training area. They no longer brought their bags with them, just their weapons and tools for today's practice.

"Mou, Kakashi – sensei is late again!" Sakura complained, fussing with her forehead protector. She glanced at her two teammates who were quiet ever since they arrived. She somehow missed the raging tension between them but the silence comforted her.

Minutes turned to hours and hours turned to half of the day as the three still continued to wait. Until the slight rumbling sound from Naruto's stomach broke the silence.

"Anou saa, anou saa! He's not here yet. And I haven't eaten my breakfast just in case the test is going to be a gruesome one," Naruto commented as he rubbed his abdomen wryly.

Sasuke let out a huff. "Don't even think that Kakashi will give us free meals like the last time dobe." He smirked when he caught Naruto glaring at him. Shrugging nonchalantly and crossing his arms, he added, "Oh yeah, I just remembered, you were the only one that got tied to the post and received nothing."

"Teme!" Naruto dashed madly to pounce on him but Sakura blocked his way before he could almost reach Sasuke within a mere inches. "Sakura – chan! Let me at him, I swear I'll rip that annoying smirk on his face right now!"

"Naruto, remember what Kakashi – sensei said? He's not going to give you any missions if the both of you are going to go at each other's throats!" Sakura reminded him as she pried his hands away from herself. He was clutching her wrists when she stepped in between them.

Naruto finally did let go and sat on the ground and pouted. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief then turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke – kun, as much as I considered you the object of my affection, you mustn't pick on Naruto."

Sasuke snorted. "Who would want to pick on a dobe?"

"Mou, you're also stubborn!" she said as she crossed her arms. But, she stared at his face, which was cruelly twisted into a smirk she smiled. 'I guess he's getting more attractive day by day…'

POOF!

All of their heads turned at the cloud of smoke and their faces went from anxiety to anger as they saw their sensei waving at them. Sparks fly between their eyes as they listened to what their indigenous teacher has to say.

"Yo, minna – san, I'm sorry I got late, I got caught in the middle of a women's sale downtown," Kakashi reasoned out. Two of his students pointed accusingly at him. "USOTSUKI!"

He coughed to bring their attention back to him and not to his silly lame excuse. "Ehem, now that you're here let's start your mission." He pulled a scrap of paper from his back pocket and handed it to Sakura who stared at it with a confused look.

"Kakashi – sensei, what is this?" she asked. Kakashi gave a small chuckle as he leaned his back on one of the posts. Naruto huddled beside Sakura and looked at the paper she was holding. Sasuke just crossed his arms.

"That piece of paper contains your mission. I will give you a week to finish it," Kakashi answered, seeing Sakura and Sasuke's puzzled looks. Naruto's eyes widened in excitement as he jumped up and down.

"Wowee…a mission! A mission! A chance to get at Sasuke – bastard," he cheered happily. He clenched his fists. "I could show off with my new skills!"

Kakashi held up a hand. "However, there is a condition."

"What condition?" The three asked simultaneously. Kakashi ran his hands through his hair nervously. 'They're not going to like this…' he thought as he gathered up all of his courage to piece his words.

"You're going to do the mission without using any type of jutsus that you know," Kakashi said it out loud and clear. "And especially no Sharingan, no medical techniques and no help from the Kyuubi," he added coyly. Naruto and Sasuke seemed crushed and Sakura looked devastated.

"Wha – what? But Kakashi – sensei, how are we going to do all the missions if you're not going to allow us to use our jutsus? It will be harder for us to finish!" Naruto whined.

Sakura nodded in agreement. "He's right, sensei. If you strip us all of our techniques then, the probability of getting a high – success rate for our missions is low."

Sasuke gave a grunt at his teammates' comments. He was also thinking about the same thing. Stripping them of their techniques meant everything would be hard for them to do. Especially even if the mission was a D – ranked one.

Kakashi however remained firm. "That's basically the point. How can you efficiently work on your missions if you only rely on your jutsus? What will happen if you had a sudden depletion of chakra? The results will be a huge gap factor." He stared at his students obviously weighing his words. He smirked when he saw their shoulders hunched. They finally understood.

"Not using any jutsus and Sharingan? This will be a good training," Sasuke remarked coolly.

Naruto pounded his chest confidently. "Yeah! This will be good, I can finally compete with Sasuke – bastard head on!" He pointed a challenging finger to Sasuke. "Prepare yourself teme!"

Sakura twisted her fingers nervously in front of her. "I don't know…maybe this is the perfect opportunity for me to stand equal with Sasuke – kun and Naruto…"

Kakashi held up a hand. "Need I remind you that this is not a competition? This is a test in seeing how well you guys work together. Who knows? Maybe we can see what Team 7 is made of." He grinned at each of his students. He knew deep in his heart that his team will never let him down. They're too proud to admit defeat anyway.

He looked at the afternoon sun and scratched his head. Turning back at them with a wary look, he spoke, "I'll be leaving you guys now. Remember you've got a week to finish the test. No jutsus no bloodlines, no Kyuubi and no medical techniques." And with that, he disappeared with another loud POOF!

…………

With their mentor gone, the three teammates stared at each other. Naruto began to open his mouth to speak but he couldn't think of something to say. He decided to lighten the tension around them.

"Anou saa…what do you think the test will be?" he asked. Both Sasuke and Sakura shook their heads. He snatched the folded paper from Sakura and examined it. "Hmm…wonder what's inside…"

"Who knows? This test must be incomparably hard than the last time we snuck on Kakashi – sensei," Sakura commented dryly, remembering the last time they stalked Kakashi in finding out what was hidden under his mask.

"Hmf. We just got ourselves in trouble because it was total moron's idea. To think that finding Kakashi's real face would be something," Sasuke retorted, crossing his arms.

Naruto shot heated glares at Sasuke. "You fell for it too, Sasuke! You wanted as much as Sakura – chan and I to find out what Kakashi – sensei's face like."

Sakura raised a hand to stop the argument. "Alright, that's enough! We don't have much time. Remember, Kakashi – sensei told us we had to finish the mission by a week."

Sasuke's expression began to become serious as he placed a hand under his chin in a deep thought. "Sakura's right. We have no time to waste. To tell you frankly, I'm quite uneasy of the test Kakashi has given us." He looked at Naruto as if he was a major pain. "I'm sure we could use your unlimited stamina in this dobe."

Naruto let out a wide – toothed grin as he placed a hand above his chest. "That was very sweet of you, Sasuke! Acknowledging me like that, I'm so flattered," he squealed in a girlish tone. Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance then glanced at Sakura.

"Sakura, we need your intelligence in this. I'm counting on you," he added, with a smirk on his face. Sakura felt a deep blush creeping across her face as she nodded meekly at Sasuke.

'Oh man, this is going to get mushy,' Naruto smugly thought as he watched his two comrades exchange heated glances. He then grew impatient as he ripped the paper open to find out what the test is. His eyes widened as he read what was inside. "You guys…you got to see this!"

"What now?" Sasuke asked irritably.

Naruto smacked the paper right in front of Sasuke's face. "I can't read it, it's too near dobe!" He pried the paper away from Naruto then read the words written inside. His eyes also widened as he analyzed what the words meant in his brain. "No way…"

Sakura went instantly to Sasuke's side and tried to take a peek at the paper. "What? What is it, Sasuke – kun? What is the mission Kakashi – sensei gave us?"

Naruto placed a trembling hand to Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura – chan, I won't read if I were you…Kakashi – sensei's pretty damn sneaky! As in pretty dirty damn sneaky!"

Sakura's expression was still full of confusion as Sasuke handed her the paper. She looked at it and gasped. "This is…this is…" She stared helplessly at her two comrades. "He…"

"Yeah, he's still treating us like children," Sasuke chided.

Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. "Nah, but it's a piece of cake! We can do this. And besides, nothing bad will happen to us right?" He sweat dropped as he saw his teammates darkened features.

Sasuke took the paper from Sakura's hands and crumpled it. "Then let's not waste anymore time. We'll start the mission as soon as possible."

"Anou…"

"What dobe?"

"Can we stop by at Ichiraku first? I want to have a pork ramen before we start the mission," Naruto answered weakly, his stomach rumbling out the truth. Sasuke didn't have time to argue as well as Sakura for their stomachs gave in to hunger as well.

Sakura gave a tiny giggle while Sasuke sighed. "Fine."

And so the three of them went to Ichiraku to fill up their stomachs in preparation for the big mission. The wind began to pick up pace, the breeze grabbing the crumpled paper and revealing its contents.

It read…

SCAVENGER HUNTING!

* * *

**Author's Note**: Well…it's still a prologue. And yes, the test Kakashi – sensei gave them was Scavenger Hunting! I'm still thinking of the entire Scavenger Hunt list and trust me, they will be funny! Reviews, Suggestions and Comments are welcome! Ja! 


	2. Like Bees to Honey

The Joys of Team 7

Chapter One: Like Bees to Honey

* * *

"Gwaahhh…I'm so full! I couldn't eat another bite," Naruto said aloud as he stroked the satisfied bulge of his belly. Sakura stared at the twenty empty ramen bowls in front of Naruto then sighed. She pushed her bowl next to his pile then signaled the owner for the tab.

"I don't believe this, how are we supposed to pay for all of this?" Sasuke commented coolly as he glared at his blond – haired teammate. Sakura let out a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Sasuke – kun, we had no choice. And besides, we can't utilize Naruto's stamina if he wasn't full," she offered as a sort of reassurance. The owner finally appeared and gave Sakura the tab. Her green eyes went wide as saucers as she counted how many zeros written in the bill.

She wasn't happy. "Naruto! Where are we going to get 50,000 ryo for all the ramen you ate? Hell no!" She waved the bill at Naruto who was laughing sheepishly.

"But, Sakura – chan! I'm a growing boy, I need to eat lots of ramen in order to become healthy," he protested weakly as he avoided Sakura's fists. One punch from her would send him thousands of yards and the strength of it was the same as Tsunade – bachan's finger flick.

Sakura was still thoroughly pissed at him as she tried to slug him with her fists. "Baka! I should've known that you would do something like this. You're going to pay!" Inner Sakura was also thinking the same way: "_Hell yeah_!"

The owner began to cough, bringing back the two's attention to him. He started to wring his hands calmly, a smile pasted on his face. "So, are you saying that you're not going to pay for what you ate?" Naruto could sense there was an underlying tone of menace in the owner's voice.

"Well, uh…we're just thinking of an "I owe you", ojiichan," he said weakly but the owner wasn't deterred. He glanced to Sakura who was obviously not going to help him. It was also hopeless to Sasuke either. It was his and his discretion alone.

"Let us do something to pay for the ramen, ojiichan!" Naruto pleaded, not noticing the heated glares from his teammates pointed directly at him. The owner seemed to reconsider for he tapped his finger on the counter.

"Well, since you're always a regular here Naruto, I'll let you do something in exchange for the ramen you ate," the owner finally said seeing Naruto's face lighten up. "However," he continued. "You're going to promise me that you'll work hard and train after this. If not, all the ramen that you ate will be a waste."

Naruto pumped his chest with his fist, tears spilling from the corner of his eyes. "I will ojiichan!"

'Idiots,' Sasuke thought, seeing the odd display of affection. They were like a replica of fuzzy eyebrows and Gai – sensei. He fumbled his pocket for a while as he listened to the owner and Naruto's still going on conversation.

"To pay for your ramen Naruto, you're going to wash all the dishes for a week," the owner ordered. Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief while Sasuke and Sakura stared dumbfounded at the owner. Dishwashing for a week? A week?

"Nee ojiichan, as much as I want to do dishwashing I just can't. You see, Kakashi – sensei gave us a mission that also lasts for one week! And we really need to focus on this," Naruto explained sheepishly in order for the owner to reconsider in letting him off.

The owner however, remained firm. "If you're not going to do the dishes Naruto, you are banned from eating here at Ichiraku ever again! I don't want my customers to see how ungrateful one is to not pay his meal."

Naruto was shocked as if a bolt of lightning struck him. Sakura covered her mouth to muffle her giggles while Sasuke acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. His hand stopped rummaging in his pocket as he finally got what he was supposed to get. He then made his way at the two.

Naruto bowed his head as he begged at the owner. "Ojiichan, please don't shoo me away! Ramen is my life; it's the secret to my amazing stamina, if you're going to take it away from me it's like a bigger half of me is being torn apart!"

"Sorry Naruto. No pay no more ramen," the owner concluded darkly. Naruto continued to whine like a lost little puppy as Sasuke pulled him out of his stool then turned to face the owner, frightening him with his cold piercing gaze.

"How much does the dobe owe you?" he asked nonchalantly. The owner looked at him with a smug smile while Sakura stared at Sasuke in disbelief. Surely he didn't mean that he…

"50,000 ryo," the owner said coyly.

"Sasuke – kun, don't tell me you're going to…" she faltered as Sasuke fished money out of his pocket and slapped it on top of the counter in front of the owner. The owner's eyes widened at the amount of money he saw then his mood lightened up knowing that the blue – clad boy paid 50,000 ryo for all the meal Naruto ate. He scooped up all the money grinning as he thanked Sasuke for paying Naruto's debt.

Naruto leapt towards Sasuke as he hugged him ferociously. Sasuke blushed bright red as Naruto wrapped his arms around him. Sakura let out her fit of giggles as Naruto babbled on and on his thanks.

"Arigatou Sasuke! Even though I call you a teme at all times, I knew you would never abandon a cute and friendly teammate like me," Naruto babbled as he squeezed Sasuke as hard as he could. Sakura hugged her insides that were already aching due to her laughs. Sasuke pried Naruto off him, he was already embarrassed and there were several people passing by who were looking at them. Now everyone in the village will think which one of them is gay.

"Dobe get off, you're causing my reputation to go down!" he grunted as he successfully removed him from his body. Naruto kept on grinning while Sakura managed to get a hold of herself. Sasuke took a few cleansing breaths then turned his attention to their team.

"Okay, now that we've finished eating let's get the mission going. As crappy as how Kakashi calls this, I want this done," Sasuke said as he ran his hands through his raven hair. He glanced at Sakura then added, "I've got plenty of things in my mind to do."

Naruto scoffed. "Usotsuki. You just want to butt me out of the way so you can have Sakura – chan all to yourself, don't you Sasuke – teme?" He ran towards Sakura and hugged her. "Well, too bad because I'm hugging her and you don't!" He stuck his tongue out at Sasuke, mocking him.

Sakura blushed at Naruto's forwardness. "N – Naruto…"

Sparks began to fly between Naruto and Sasuke, the tension was so thick that even a kunai could easily slice through it. Sakura wiped a drop of sweat from her widely cute forehead as she tries to put a stop to an upcoming feud.

"I'd let her go if I were you," Sasuke warned dangerously, his eyes slightly turning into slits. Naruto grinned evilly as he hugged Sakura tighter.

"No way, teme. You can have all the fan girls ogling you but Sakura – chan's mine, heeheehee!" he taunted, laughing inside. It was so funny making the poor Uchiha heir furious with jealousy; actually, this was Naruto's way of teasing him since the poor guy is so dense in realizing his feelings for the pink – haired kunoichi.

'Sakura – chan will thank me for this, if Sasuke – yarou manages to bump his head and they end up together,' he happily thought. Think of the unlimited ramen that his two teammates will treat him once they become an item. Sasuke is filthy rich anyway, he can easily pay for his years supply of ramen.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, blushing madly as she tried to struggle from Naruto's vise – like grip. Sasuke was about to pounce on them, a feral look on his face when…

"Sasuke – sama."

Their heads whipped around and saw that it was the owner who addressed Sasuke. Cursing quietly, he walked towards the owner. "What?" he growled. The owner yelped as he handed Sasuke a piece of folded paper. "It's from your teacher." He snatched it from his hand then shoved it inside his pocket. He turned to look at his teammates and was relieved that Naruto finally let go of Sakura. The poor girl almost passed out due to suffocation.

"What is that Sasuke – teme?" Naruto asked as he saw Sasuke glare daggers at him. Sakura managed to take in a few breaths before settling herself between the two boys. It would take a matter of minutes before any one of them started swinging at each other.

Sasuke managed to contain himself at the very least. He yanked the paper from his back pocket then opened it. Naruto and Sakura awaited with bated breaths to what Sasuke will have to say.

"It says here, Kakashi made out a list of things that we'll have to do in our 'Scavenger Hunt'. He somehow ripped his list into little pieces and spread it somewhere. It's our job to find all of those pieces and complete the hunt," Sasuke explained from what he could interpret in the note. "And there is still the NO jutsus thingie."

Naruto screamed like a deprived child. "NNNNOOOOOOOO!"

Sasuke and Sakura shook their heads in annoyance. Sasuke then turned his attention in reading the rest of the note then stopped. He looked at his teammates. "Our first mission is to hunt bees for honey."

"Bees? As in those deadly ferocious killer bees?" Naruto cringed. "Not my beautiful face!" He placed his palms in either side of his cheeks as he screamed again. "NNNNOOOOOOO!"

SMACK!

Naruto fell a hundred yards with a backward swoop. Sakura rubbed her knuckles wryly from the pain of cracking Naruto's jaw then glanced at Sasuke who was looking at them weirdly. "What?" she asked.

Sasuke only smirked. "Anyway, we had to do this before nightfall. I swear Kakashi is probably laughing his head off once he finds out we're not doing anything as of now." He looked at how far Naruto had landed and winced. "And we're going to need the dobe for this so we might as well punch him awake."

Sakura nodded as they followed the direction where Naruto had obviously landed. It was somewhere in the Hot Springs District. Sakura cringed as she hoped Naruto didn't land on the Women's Bathing Area.

* * *

"There it is, but it is surrounded by hundreds of those killer bees," Naruto whimpered as they surveyed a beehive a few kilometers away from their vantage point. They were in the forest outside the training area and have been scouting for hives until they decided to follow a trail of bees and luckily found one. Sasuke let out a grunt as he viewed a couple of those miniature stingers circling the hive as if it was their stronghold. He gritted his teeth in annoyance, if they only have their way, he would use a fire technique, burn those bees and steal the whole hive.

Sakura let out a discouraged sigh. "What are we going to do? We're supposed to get honey from that hive right? And the worst part of it is that we're banned from using any jutsus." Eyeing the bees thoroughly, she shrank back from her teammates. "I don't want to get stung by bees!"

"Neither do I but do we have a choice?" Sasuke replied dryly. He motioned Sakura and Naruto to a huddle and began to formulate a plan. "Here's what we're going to do. Sakura, you're going to act as the lookout just in case someone might pull a surprise out of us," he drew a diagram of a tree and a bush and draw a small circle beside it. "This is where you'll stay, until we get the honey."

"Okay!" Sakura nodded, as she finally understood what she was going to do. Sasuke drew another two circles next to the tree, one on top while one on the side then turned to Naruto and smirked. "You dobe, will be climbing up that tree and take the honey from the hive."

His loudmouthed teammate glared ominously at him. "Nani? Then what are you going to do then, Sasuke – bastard? You're not going to sit on this one! We're supposed to be a team," Naruto whined, shocked that he was suddenly put on the frontline in battle. The only problem is that he was going to battle against bees.

Sasuke let out a sigh. "I'm going to catch the honey as soon as you get it from the hive." Naruto growled as he pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke. Sakura managed to grab Naruto before he can do bodily harm to his own teammate.

"Teme! I knew it! You're just doing the easy work, how could you!" Naruto accused over and over again. Sasuke rolled his eyes as he stood up and kicked Naruto forward towards the tree. Sakura stood up as well as she felt pity for Naruto but she knew deep in her heart that Sasuke must've put his confidence that Naruto could do it. Somehow.

Sasuke on the other hand remained impassive to his loudmouth comrade's ramblings. He grabbed Naruto by his jacket and ushered him to move forward. "No more excuses dobe. Just go and climb that tree, take a handful of honey and ran away like a mad fox."

Naruto gave a low grunt, which almost say as a 'yes' then forced his legs to move. Damn, if only they could use their jutsus…he could easily summon Shadow Replications and let his clones do the work. But no, Kakashi – sensei decided to make their own lives a living hell by doing this hunt with no jutsus! Wait till he gets his hands on his sensei's neck…

Before he knew it, he was on the base of the tree and gulped as he saw the bees lurking around like guards around their precious hive. He grasped the sturdy trunk of the tree, wrapped his legs around it, and then taking a deep breath, he pulled himself up gingerly towards the top.

"I hope he will be okay." Sakura clasped her hands together in prayer for Naruto's safety. Sasuke gave a wry face. He ran a hand through his hair as he stared at Naruto climbing painstakingly on the tree. He managed to keep a straight face as he saw him whimper and dodge several bees that surround him. He decided to follow Naruto and walked discreetly to avoid himself getting the bees' attraction. He stood by the base of the tree and looked at the blond – haired ninja dangling from above.

"Oi dobe, you'd better get that honey. Those bees are getting closer to your skin," he joked. Naruto squirmed helplessly as he glared at Sasuke from under his nose.

"I'm trying, teme! Stop bothering me," he growled under his breath. He could see the tiny pests surround him like he was a flower that they decide to pollinate. He kept his eyes focused on the prize, all golden and sweet – smelling, dangling just within his reach. He stretched out his hand to grab the hive but it was still far for his fingers to touch. He glanced back to Sasuke. "I can't reach it!"

"Then lean a bit more," Sasuke replied dryly as if it was an easy thing to do. Naruto heed on Sasuke's words but it was still no use. He turned again to Sasuke and gulped. "I need more leverage."

Sasuke was too preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't hear Naruto saying something to him. "What?"

"I SAID I NEED MORE LEVERAGE!" Naruto screamed like a girl as he raised both of his hands to prove his point. But he forgot that he was supporting his whole body by his arms so his body lost its balance and he fell. Plummeting downwards by the gravity.

CRASH!

"Itai…," Naruto groaned as he rubbed the back of his head. He sat up from where he fell and looked around his surroundings. "Wha…what happened? Where am I?"

Sakura left her position and rushed to him. "Naruto! Are you alright?" She placed a hand on top of Naruto's head, examining him for any bruises or a cracked jaw. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found out there was none. "I'm sorry if I'm not of any use, but, I couldn't use my healing jutsus. Good thing you didn't suffer a concussion."

Naruto grinned. "Of course! I'm stronger than that, Sakura – chan!" He turned his head around as if he was looking for something. "Where's Sasuke – teme?"

Sakura also looked around. "I don't know he was supposed to be with you but… what is that?" She gasped at what she saw. "NARUTO! What have you done?"

Naruto began to stare weirdly at his becoming hysterical teammate. "Huh?" He looked at Sakura – chan and was confused at her sudden expression. She pointed something below him and Naruto followed the direction and began to sweat.

He was sitting on top of Sasuke who was obviously knocked out face flat on the ground. Sakura let out a distressed shriek as she pushed Naruto away and helped her Sasuke – kun turn around in a supine position. She cradled his head in her lap as she pat his cheek with her hand. "Sasuke – kun! Are you okay? Please wake up!"

Naruto gulped as he saw Sasuke out cold and instantly went to Sakura's side. He looked at her face that was becoming paler by the second. "Sakura – chan, control yourself! Sasuke – yarou is not dead. Let's just wake him up!"

Sakura's eyes trained at him. "How? I could not use my techniques! And I don't have my medical kit with me."

Naruto laughed. "Trust me!"

Sakura nodded then Naruto leaned towards Sasuke and inched his face towards his. Naruto's mouth hovered just a little bit next to Sasuke's own when Sakura yanked his head off. He glanced at her. "What?"

"Eh? That's your way of waking him up? Kissing him?" Sakura screeched accusingly. Naruto rubbed his head in confusion. "So? It's the only way, you use that to revive people and stuff," he answered.

"But that's for drowning people!" Sakura protested, her Inner Sakura about to come out any second. She knew she never had to trust Naruto in finding ways. But Naruto still insisted and his mouth was once again inches away from Sasuke's when…

SMACK!

Naruto once again flew backwards and Sakura had a look of surprise on her face as she saw Naruto fly a hundred meters again. And she wasn't the one who punched him in the first place. After cracking his knuckles, Sasuke sat up and winced as he rubbed the pain in his back. "Dobe, what the heck is he thinking! He should've warned me that he'd crash down on the ground."

"Sasuke – kun! Finally you're awake. You okay?" Sakura asked as she placed an arm to support Sasuke on his back. He only turned to her, his black eyes boring into her for a few minutes before glancing at where Naruto landed.

"Aside from my broken spinal cord, everything's dandy," he quipped. Sakura helped him to stand up and he smirked at her gesture. "Remind me to give you something later in return Sakura." She squeaked a bit and blushed.

Naruto was up and back in a second. "Teme! I was worried about you, but you punched me!"

"You deserved it dobe."

"Sasuke!"

Sakura coughed to bring them to their senses. "Ehem. Pardon me for interrupting but aren't you forgetting something?" She pointed at the hive still hanging onto the tree. Both boys let out a resigned sound as they sat on the ground. Sasuke looked at them again and spoke, "Well, I guess the dobe needs a little more leverage to reach the hive right? Sakura and I will just give you a little boost up the tree."

Naruto's brows furrowed. "And just how are we going to do that?"

"Easy. You'll stand on someone else's shoulders."

Sakura stared at Sasuke. "And who's shoulders is he standing on?"

"Yours Sakura."

Sakura glared at Sasuke. "You don't mean that!"

He looked at her with a challenging look in his onyx orbs. "I do."

Sakura squeaked again at the look in his eyes so she nodded her head. After all, when Sasuke got his way, no one in his or her right mind could change his will even if it was a bit too hard to accomplish. Sasuke may have forgotten that there was a girl in their team.

Sasuke stood up and signaled his teammates to commence the mission. He placed his palms flat on the tree and Sakura stepped on him by his shoulders doing the same, placing her palms on the trunk. Naruto followed suit, first climbing on Sasuke's still aching back and then stepping his feet on Sakura's shoulders. With the increased height, Naruto was able to grasp the hive and put his hand inside to get honey.

"Did you finally get the honey?" Sasuke called out. He had to avoid looking up or else he'll see something significant inside Sakura's skirt. He was already shaking from his teammates' combined weight and he was reaching his limit.

"Almost!" Naruto answered tersely, fumbling inside the hive. Sakura let out a pained groan when she felt some buzzing sounds getting nearer as she looked up at Naruto. "Hurry up! The bees are getting cranky," she complained. Naruto had almost got it when he suddenly stilled. Sakura began to worry that she asked, "Naruto? What's wrong?"

Naruto looked paralyzed, then tears started forming around his eyes. "Sakura – chan…I…got…" Sakura rolled her eyes as she glared at her blond – haired teammate. Her shoulders were starting to ache from Naruto's bulky build and it was getting on her nerves. "You got what?"

"I GOT STUNG!"

Naruto panicked as he jumped up and down, causing Sakura to lose her balance and toppled downwards and hit Sasuke on the ground. Naruto placed his hands protectively on his behind as he also fell and crashed down to his fallen comrades and something also plopped down on his head.

"Ouch…damn it you two, I should've put you both on a diet. Constant crashes from you guys will give me a coma for life," Sasuke groaned as he tried to sat up and massage his injured back. Sakura whimpered as she struggled to get up while Naruto rubbed his aching bottom due to the sting. His nose smelled something sweet and when he opened his eyes he saw the hive next to him with the honey oozing out.

Sakura reached for it. "How come the hive is down here?"

"It must've come down with Naruto when he crashed down," Sasuke supplied as he began to sense something bad. He turned to his surroundings; sweat drops appearing at the back of his head as he saw hundreds of bees zooming towards them. "Uh oh…"

"What is it, Sasuke – kun?" Sakura asked then gasped. "BEES!" Sasuke wasted no time. He grabbed Sakura who was still holding the hive by the waist and Naruto by his collar. He dashed away from the tree and from the bees that were chasing them for their destroyed home. Sasuke spotted a huge bush and dove inside it along with his teammates. Naruto finally got himself together as he stared at the breathless Sasuke.

"What's up Sasuke?" he asked. He was rewarded with a punch on his head. Sasuke grunted as he rubbed his knuckles and sighed. "Baka. I told you to get honey, not the entire hive!" Naruto glared at him.

"Why are you so mad anyway? At least I got it!" He stuck his honey – sticky arm at Sasuke when Sakura noticed something. "Naruto," she began. "There's something stuck in your hand." She pulled a tiny folded paper sticking out of Naruto's palm and read what was inside. She let out a sigh as she faced the two boys.

"Our next mission is to fish out a Legendary Catfish. E – eh? Where are we supposed to find that? There are hundreds of fishes here in Konoha!" Sakura wailed as she crumpled the paper and tossed it somewhere. Sasuke analyzed the meaning of the message. His fingers snapped. "Probably we should find a catfish that has the next clue stuck to it inside."

"Sounds good, teme," Naruto said dryly. "Where are we going to start searching for it? And where are we going to keep this hive?" Sasuke glared at him then answered, "In your apartment."

"Nani!"

Sakura waved her hands. "Alright, that's enough! We'll just head out to the lake outside this area and fish! We've got six days left until we complete Kakashi – sensei's list." She turned to Naruto. "But first let's get you cleaned up, Naruto."

Naruto grinned at her. "Want to wash my back, Sakura – chan?"

SMACK!

Naruto once again flew backwards a couple of a thousand miles this time. Sakura sweat dropped and saw Sasuke cracking his knuckles, his expression calm but with an aura of rage surrounding him. He grabbed the hive and turned his back on her. "Let's go."

"But Naruto…"

Sasuke smirked at her. "He'll be back in time for the next mission. For a while, want some tea?" Sakura began to blush wildly and he sighed. "It's your reward for saving me back there."

Sakura nodded slowly and trailed after Sasuke as they left the forest. As for Naruto, who knows when he'll wake up and get himself cleaned and rejoin his teammates who were happily munching on tea? Their extraordinary adventures will still continue!

* * *

**Author's Note**: There you have it! The first in Kakashi's Scavenger Hunt List. It was a bit long and I hope you'll like it. Next Chapter: The Legendary Catfish! Please send your reviews, suggestions even comments in order to improve the story. Again, Arigatou for the previous reviews! Ja!


	3. The Legendary Catfish

The Joys of Team 7

Chapter 2: The Legendary Catfish

* * *

"Kuso! I'm late!"

Naruto huffed and puffed as he ran throughout downtown of Konoha in search for his two teammates. He went back to his apartment and took a quick shower, then threw in his shirt and pants and dashed outside to meet with them. But after searching the possible places in where they are, Naruto began to spout a lot of curses when he realized he couldn't find them anywhere.

"Where the heck is Sasuke – teme and Sakura – chan? Surely they didn't continue the mission without me!" he growled under his breath. He was walking towards a shop when he heard a horde of girls snarling and howling under their breaths as if they spied something foul or someone. Naruto had an idea lit inside his head. 'That could be Sasuke's fanclub! It means, they must be close by…'

Without wasting anytime, he dashed towards the rabid fan girls and tried to worm his way past them to reach his teammates. Who knows whatever they were doing anyway…

* * *

Sakura kept staring at the person in front of her. Minutes had passed and neither one of them made a move to approach the other. They were just sitting quietly and drinking their tea. She looked down at her near empty cup cradled between her hands, savoring the warmth radiating from it. She decided to break the silence by starting a conversation.

She stared at him. "Sasuke – kun?"

He didn't seem to hear her. He was busy staring at the window at their booth that he didn't hear the uneasiness of her voice. She decided to strain her voice a bit louder this time. "Sasuke – kun!"

Finally he turned his head towards her as if he was broken free from a spellbinding jutsu. "Aa." He leaned a bit more in his chair as he regarded her with a look. His onyx orbs seemed to probe deeper into her, studying her features and the changes that her body undergone since they were just genin cellmates. At the present, she lost her confident prowess and was now shy and reserved. He shook his head. He couldn't be having these thoughts about Sakura. No way.

Sakura seemed pleased that finally Sasuke had given her his full attention. She twirled the rim of her cup as she stared at his black eyes that were full of inquiry. "Anou…I was wondering…"

Oh. He seemed interested. "About what?"

"About our next mission. What do you think will happen? Are we going to undergo a lot of things like the ones with the bees? I never want to tell you all of this, you may think of me as annoying just like before," she confided quietly, her head bowed down in embarrassment. She never wanted to hear Sasuke calling her annoying anymore. She had grown up a little out of that.

But he surprised her by tucking a hand under his chin as if he was contemplating on her words. "Stressed?" When Sakura didn't answer, he continued, "Are you not used in doing missions without your techniques?"

Sakura smiled slightly at him. "Well um…of course I depended mostly on my chakra. I use it all the time to perform medical jutsus, it's just that I'm confused why Kakashi – sensei decided to make this mission without the use of any jutsus." She stared down at her cup again then sighed. "I don't want to be a burden to you guys again…"

Sasuke let out a low growl. "Are you saying that without your jutsus you're nothing?" He tapped his finger in the table and stared at her. "What do you think I would feel right about now if I was in your shoes?" Sakura blushed at him, unsure of what to say. He smirked. It had always been this way when she was around him. He wondered what could've gotten over her when she became a medical specialist…

"Sakura." She looked up to face him by the sound of her name. He leaned towards her and wiped a dollop of honey that was sticking out from her widely cute forehead. He was staring at the offensive thing for the whole time and he was debating on himself whether he would take it right off and she would notice or tell her about it and she would get embarrassed. It was a good thing she started the conversation. It was a nice distraction.

But he didn't expect her to open up her troubles to him. Since he listened to her fears, it was up to him to give her some sort of a reassurance or advice. After wiping the offensive sweet – smelling substance, he smirked. "What I'm trying to say is, it doesn't matter if we use jutsus or not. As long as we can accomplish this mission in any way we can, then, that's all right. Even the dobe thinks the same way."

Sakura seemed to ponder into Sasuke's words and her cheeks reddened at the realization that their faces are within inches from each other. She could feel the warmth of his breath tickling her and she was leaning a bit closer to him when…

"Teme! What the heck are you doing here drinking tea? And you guys left me!"

Sasuke let out an irritated sigh as he turned to face their blond teammate who was out of breath due from running around and looking for them. He sighed again as he saw a horde of his fan girls ogling at them from the teashop's glass window. Sakura blushed a bit more furiously all the while glared at Naruto for the destroyed mood.

"You're late as always, dobe. You've already missed the house specials," he commented coolly. Naruto stared grumpily at him as he sat next to Sakura and to their surprise, hugged her again and whined, "Sakura – chan, Sasuke – kun is teasing me again!"

"Na- Naruto…" Sakura protested as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp. She could see a glint of pure murder in Sasuke's eyes and she didn't want another fight to spark between the two. She held up a protesting hand and yielded, "Mou…yamero! Let's just focus on the next mission, how are we going to get a Legendary Catfish?"

Sasuke coughed to tone down his temper as he became distracted about their mission. "Alright, about the mission, there's no such thing as a Legendary Catfish. It's just something Kakashi made up to make it a bit crappy looking. Surely in the lake outside of Konoha, there are lots of fishes that we can search for the next clue."

"Really smooth, Sasuke – teme. Are we going to capture all of those fishes and inspect their mouths for the next clue? That would take us half a week to fish them out!" Naruto wailed as he took a swig of tea from Sakura's cup. Sakura rubbed her temples as she tried to think of a good strategy. She stared at her two teammates. "What if we just have someone to dive underwater and try to look for a fish that has a note stuck to it?"

Sasuke agreed at Sakura's notion. "Good idea. That could save us a lot of time than fishing them out one by one." He stood up from his seat and placed the money in the table. He turned to them. "We'd better go and find the catfish." They stood up and followed him outside the teashop. They were walking for a few miles when Naruto had an idea in his head. He turned to his teammates.

"Hey! What if 'we' dive underwater and look for the catfish? That'll make the search easier," he suggested innocently. Sakura squeaked at Naruto's suggestion but Sasuke seemed to agree at this.

"Coming from a dobe, it seemed illogical but now that you mentioned it," Sasuke mused. He faced them with a smug expression on his face. "We'll meet at the lake in the afternoon. Don't forget to bring your change of clothes."

"Yay!" Naruto whooped while Sakura nodded meekly.

* * *

It was already 12 o' clock in the afternoon when Team 7 reassembled after their meeting at the teashop. Naruto was freshly cleaned up and was a little pissed after catching up to his two teammates, only to find out that they went out for tea without him. He spent the rest of the day teasing them, the Uchiha heir silent while Sakura blushing thoroughly.

"I knew it, you two are planning on leaving me aren't you?" Naruto accused the two of them who were absolutely acted as if nothing happened. He grinned mischievously as he looked at Sasuke first then to Sakura. "Admit it, something's going on between you two!"

"Nothing to concern yourself with, dobe. Sakura and I were just having a little chat when you arrived," Sasuke replied dryly. He stared at Sakura. "Aren't we Sakura?"

Sakura looked away in embarrassment. "Yes."

Naruto placed both of his arms around the back of his head and made a whistling sound. "Hoo boy. As if I didn't know, you were about to kiss Sakura – chan eh, Sasuke – bastard?"

"Naruto, I'm going to forget you've ever said that," Sasuke gritted his teeth. It wasn't nice that he was being teased. He didn't like it one single bit. But, his mind diverted to another thought, fishing out a catfish can be a major problem. There are hundreds of fishes in the water. The problem is that even 'he' could not remember what a catfish looks like. That's why he agreed instantly to Naruto's suggestion. The three of them together searching for the catfish will be a breeze.

He walked ahead of them, reaching the shore. He removed his sandals, tossed them aside then waded into the water. He turned to his teammates who were also doing the same thing. Sakura waded in first followed by Naruto. Sasuke beckoned them to join him with a gesture of his hand.

"We'll divide the lake into threes. Naruto, you'll take the left side," Sasuke said as he pointed to an area near to the trees. He turned to Sakura and continued, "Sakura you take this area while I search on the right." He then left his two teammates and waded in the area where there were clumps of water lilies that floated in the water. Naruto gave an evil grin; when he was certain that Sasuke was out of earshot, he leaned towards Sakura and whispered something in her ear.

"I'm certain Sasuke – baka has taken a crush on you, Sakura – chan. Why would he give you this shallow part of the lake to search if he doesn't care that your clothes might get wet? He even ordered us to bring a change of clothes. " Naruto's blue eyes crinkled as Sakura blushed. He moved away from her, tucked his arms behind his head and whistled away from her. He would certainly put Sasuke – bastard down to his knees all right. After all, the unlimited supply of ramen is not yet too far to attain.

…………

He was already searching for two hours and forty – five minutes and there was still no sign of a catfish. Oh sure, he'd seen hundreds of carps, guppies, swordfishes, goldfishes and a ton of electric eels but none of it yielded a fish that looks like a cat. That is, if the catfish really did look like a cat. He glanced to his two teammates who were also in the process of searching and smirked when Naruto threw his shirt off impatiently and dived to search underwater. Sakura on the other hand, had already removed her red cheongsam and clad in her mesh shirt and green cycling shorts, began to bend her back lower to search for the catfish. He sighed as he removed his blue oversized shirt, threw it in a tree branch that loomed in the lake then joined Naruto in the search.

Sakura stared at where Sasuke had gone and blushed when she saw him remove his shirt and dived underwater. She shook her head to get rid of some unnecessary thoughts but Naruto's words remained imprinted on her mind.

"_Sasuke – baka has taken a crush on you_."

"No way," she said to herself. Sasuke wouldn't take notice of her. Sure, they've gotten to know each other during the past few years but that's all there is to it. She had also heard rumors that Sasuke had taken notice of someone but it simply could not be her. She was so entranced in her thoughts that she didn't taken notice a fish with two long whiskers swimming freely around her legs.

"Kuso! I can't find any catfishes down here," Naruto wailed as he emerged from the water and was shaking his fists madly to prove his point. If only he could use Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, then the search would be a lot easier. Sasuke also reappeared on the surface, wiping water from his eyes. There wasn't any sign of a catfish in his area either. They both turned to Sakura. "Seen any catfishes in your area, Sakura – chan?" Naruto asked.

She shook her head no. Both boys let out a heaving sigh then decided to move out of the water and plan their next move. Sakura blushed at the sight of her two teammates who were wading towards her half – naked, so she pretended to look down at her hands as if there was something stuck in them. They were already in front of her but she refused to meet them with her gaze. Neither of the boys took notice for they were too distracted in the mission.

"I'm positive there is a sign of a catfish around here somewhere." Sasuke brushed strands of black hair dripping from his forehead. He scrutinized the whole lake and winced. "Unless their shoal had moved farther back."

Naruto groaned. "I don't want to swim farther, Sasuke – teme! If you like, go swim out there yourself." He ran behind Sakura's back and whined, "I don't wanna!"

Sasuke glared at him, a stress symbol hung in his head. "You'd better stop hiding behind Sakura's back, dobe."

Naruto grinned widely much to Sasuke's dislike. "Make me."

Unknown to them, the object of their regard was swimming happily between their legs. Sakura didn't seem to take notice for she was too busy stopping her two teammates from having a fight. She stepped in between Sasuke and Naruto. "Stop it! Mou, we have to focus in finding the damned catfish or we'll all freeze to death out here!"

Sasuke decided to accept defeat and glared at Naruto. "Alright, for the purpose of the mission."

"Same here." Naruto glared back at him.

Sakura let out a sigh of relief as she smiled at the two boys. Sasuke broke off his glare then glanced at Sakura. He began to take notice of something wriggling in between her legs and sad to say, it was offending him. But then, his dark eyes lit up and decided to grab it. He moved closer to Sakura and stared at her confused jade green eyes. "Don't move."

"Eh? Nani, Sasuke – kun?"

Sasuke put a finger on top of her lips, shushing her. "I said don't move."

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "What are you going to do to Sakura – chan, teme? Don't tell me you're going to do something juicy to her!"

Sasuke wasted no time and crouched in between the space of Sakura's legs. Sakura squeaked at her teammate's forwardness that she almost fainted. Naruto covered his mouth to hide his surprise but apparently it didn't work and instead, he gawked. Sasuke rummaged under the water beneath Sakura for a while and smirked triumphantly when he caught something in his hand. "Got it!"

Confused by his actions, Naruto stared at Sasuke observing what he said he already got. His eyes darted down to a muddy smelling, wriggling fish with two whiskers. Sakura looked at it and cringed at the huge sea creature. Sasuke grinned as he held the fish high for them to see. "We finally got him!"

"Got what, teme? You scared us half to death, and worse, you almost tainted Sakura – chan's virginity!" Naruto complained angrily, seeing that there was no importance in a fish. Sakura blushed as she glared at her blond – haired teammate. She then went to Sasuke's object of regard and looked more closely at the creature. "Sasuke – kun! Is this…?"

"Yup. The Legendary Catfish Kakashi was talking about."

Naruto's eyes went wide. "Eh? So that's him? That's what you were so excited for?" He glared at the catfish with disgust. "He looks like a reptile to me. Are you sure the clue is with him?"

Sasuke scoffed. "It 'is' a catfish, you dumb dobe. I know what one looks like when I see it. I remembered that catfishes loved to swim in shallow and muddy places, no wonder I saw this one under Sakura." He glanced at Sakura and bowed his head. "I'm sorry for acting rash before. I just wanted to confirm what I saw in between your legs. And I wasn't pertaining to 'those' stuff that Kakashi reads in his dirty book."

Sakura raised up a hand. "It's alright, Sasuke – kun. I always have faith in your actions so don't worry." She blushed. "And I knew you weren't thinking about 'those' stuff that Kakashi – sensei reads."

Naruto grinned evilly. "Smart move, Sasuke – baka. 'In between your legs?'' You must be reading some passages in Kakashi – sensei's book!" He covered his mouth with his hand as he pretended not to snicker. "I didn't know you were so dirty, Sasuke!"

SMACK!

Naruto once again suffered another knuckle – cracking punch and he flew a hundred miles farther beyond the lake. Sasuke muttered a string of curses as he held the catfish firmly in his hand, not sorry for the poor thing that he used it to smack Naruto with. Sakura let out a smile to brighten her features as she motioned Sasuke to get out of the water and to find the clue inside the fish. He merely nodded and followed her.

…………

Several minutes later, after skinning the poor catfish and letting it cook in the flames that they painstakingly made by striking two stones together, Team 7 decided to rest for a while and eat the fish while recovering for the next mission. Naruto let out a satisfied sigh as he inhaled the aroma of the cooked fish while Sakura huddled in the corner, obviously got cold from swimming in the lake. Sasuke continued to read the note taken from the catfish, his brows furrowed in deep thought. His musings were broken by Naruto's yell. "It's ready!"

They were already feasting on the cooked fish when Sakura looked at Sasuke. "Sasuke – kun, what is our next mission?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "If our mission would be this hard, I don't know if I could do this anymore."

"Hm? Giving up?" He smirked. When she blushed under his gaze he added. "It will be a no sweat mission. We'll just go out to the Tea Country and get some rare dumplings."

"Nani? We're going outside Konoha? We're just going to bring home some scruffy looking dumplings and stash it in my apartment?" Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Kakashi – sensei sure likes to demand things."

Sakura giggled. "Speak for yourself. After all, who was the one who almost got stuck at Ichiraku to wash dishes for a week?" She smiled as she watched Naruto's expression turned from whining to whimpering. He sniffed an imaginary sniff then began to hug Sakura, obviously trying to piss Sasuke again. "If you weren't such a beautiful girl Sakura –chan, I'm sure I would like to ask you out on a date again!"

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched but he chose to ignore Naruto's ramblings and began to focus on the mission at hand. Sakura tried to extract her body out of Naruto's vise – like grip. "Naruto, stop provoking Sasuke – kun!"

Naruto just grinned. "Nah, he doesn't care anyway! Right, Sasuke – teme?"

SMACK!

Sakura sweat dropped as she watched Naruto fly again for a hundred miles beyond the lake. She stifled a giggle as she watched Sasuke nonchalantly cracked his knuckles and quieted down when he stared at her. "What?" he asked.

She smiled at him sweetly. "Nothing, Sasuke – kun."

He just gave a small 'hn' as he brushed soil to cover the fire with his foot. He stood up and dusted away dirt from his white shorts then grabbed a new set of clothes from his bag. He threw the shirt over his head and yanked it to cover his body. He turned to look at Sakura who was almost still as a statue. He began to wave a hand to her to get her attention away from him. "You'd better change. As soon as the dobe breaks out from his reverie, we'll head out to Tea Country in record speed."

Sakura nodded but when she rummaged for her things, she almost didn't want to speak out that the current had taken her bag, which had her change of clothes inside. She just returned to him empty – handed, holding her soaked cheongsam that she almost lost to the current along with the bag. Sasuke raised a brow in inquiry after he told her that Naruto was already changing by the nearby trees. It surprised him that she still hadn't changed her clothes.

"Why haven't you changed yet?" he asked, seeing her still clad on her wet mesh shirt and shorts. Sakura shook her head as she bowed her head and whispered quietly, "My bag got caught by the lake's current. I wasn't unable to get it, but I saved my cheongsam but unfortunately, it's also wet." Her cheeks blushed furiously from embarrassment. "I can't go back to the village like this."

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair as he gave a resounding sigh. Sakura bit her lip to keep from crying when he moved away from her and went to his belongings. She couldn't stop her shoulders from shaking and a lone tear escaped her eye when she felt something warm being wrapped around her. She looked at it and saw it was blue, with a symbol of a fan in its back.

Sasuke's.

She raised her face to look up at him and realized he was standing close to her. He gave a sympathetic smirk as stared back in her green eyes. "Good thing I packed an extra one. Wear it until we reach the village."

"Thank you," she mouthed, giddily. She almost kissed him. Almost.

She hastily slipped into his shirt when they sensed Naruto walking towards them. He had his goofy grin once again as he smirked at his teammates. "Whew! I'm up and ready, so let's head out for the Country of Tea then." He walked past Sakura to get his bag then stopped. He whirled back to face Sakura, his blue eyes widened. "Sakura – chan, why are you wearing Sasuke – teme's clothes?"

"This? Well I…I borrowed it," Sakura supplied.

Naruto crossed his arms as he pouted. "There's something going on about you guys! Sakura – chan, did he touch you in any parts of your body? Did he?"

Sakura blushed. "Of course not, Naruto!"

Sasuke gave a snort. "Let the dobe thinks what he's thinking. Not even one of it is true anyway."

"Aha! So you do admit! You did something to Sakura – chan!" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke. Sakura sweat dropped as another argument ensured between Sasuke and Naruto. She sighed as she walked in between of them and held them apart by each other.

"Alright, that's enough. We're going to a trip to the Tea Country and we had to leave before sundown," she reminded them. The two broke off in a huff and she smiled at them. She turned to Naruto. "Nothing really happened Naruto. Sasuke – kun let me borrow his shirt because my clothes got lost in the current."

Naruto still pouted. "Really, if I ever caught him doing funny stuff to you, I'll…"

Sakura glared at him. "Naruto…"

Sasuke, however, smirked. "Even if you say it that way, dobe, if Sakura and I ended up together, do you think I would let you catch me doing some 'funny' stuff to her?" His smirked widened at Naruto's expression. "Gotcha."

Naruto raised a fist. "That's it! You're going down, Sasuke – teme!"

"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled, overly fed up at their antics.

Naruto cowered at Sakura's voice so he stopped from slugging Sasuke. He glared at the smirk Sasuke still pasted on his face. "Teme…"

"It's nice to finally get back at you, dobe."

Naruto didn't choose to argue as he watched Sasuke leave first, followed by Sakura. He followed them after a few minutes, whistling happily as he continued to watch the blossoming couple. His unlimited supply of ramen is getting nearer and nearer. He could feel it.

And so, Team 7 finished another of their so – called mission as they head out for the Country of Tea to retrieve some rare dumplings. Who knows what Kakashi had in store for them in their Scavenger Hunt? The story continues…

* * *

**Author's Note**: I'm still thinking of things for the list and I'm running out of ideas. I don't want to suffer a bout of Writer's Block! NOOOOOOO! Anyways, heehee, reviews, suggestions, comments are welcome for the sake of my story's improvement. I'm still doing my other fics so I'm multi tasking right now. Please feel free to look at them if you like! For the previous reviews, Arigatou! I wouldn't be here in front of my computer typing if it weren't for you. Ja! 


	4. Tea Country's Rare Dumplings 1

The Joys of Team 7

Chapter 3: Tea Country's Rare Dumplings Part I

* * *

The gates of Konoha opened wide, letting out three people with their bags hanging on their shoulders. Naruto let out a lengthy yawn as he watched the bright sky and grinned widely. He turned to his teammates who were either cranky or sleepy and he raised a fist in the air. "Yay! Let's go!"

Sakura gave a small sigh while Sasuke glared at him. It was 6 o' clock in the morning and Naruto was already yelling at them to hurry up at the top of his lungs. She combed her still – ruffled hair to straighten it as she stared at the road up ahead. Their journey to the Country of Tea would take about two days. They need to board a ship to reach the Degarashi Port, where Boss Jirocho and Idate currently lived. She smiled as she remembered the last Todoroki Shrine Race that they had attended while on the mission of protecting Ibiki – san's younger brother from his former teacher, Rokusho Aoi. She winced inwardly. That was also the time where Sasuke had begun to pursue his quest for power. She glanced at her stoic teammate who was walking nonchalantly ahead of her, his eyes fully focused on the road. It suddenly felt nostalgic to see Sasuke's back in front of her. The last thing she also remembered was when he was about to leave Konoha for the Hidden Sound. She too was staring at his back just like she was doing now.

"Sakura – chan! Are you alright?"

She blinked and saw concern marring Naruto's expression as he was walking alongside her. She looked at him for a few minutes then at Sasuke who suddenly stopped from his walk and was now eyeing her suspiciously. She gave a small nervous laugh to hide her surfacing emotions as she stuck her tongue out playfully at them. "What are you guys staring at? It's not like I have a disease or something."

"You kind of zoned out there for a moment, Sakura – chan! I thought something was wrong with you," Naruto exclaimed, suddenly becoming worried. She let out a chuckle as she patted him on his back affectionately with her hand. "What're you saying? Baka! Can't a girl daydream once in a while?" she protested lightheartedly, assuring them that everything is fine with her. She smiled frivolously, stretching her facial muscles to its limit to prove to them that she was indeed okay.

Somehow, Naruto was thoroughly persuaded. He looped an arm around Sakura's shoulders. "Nah, don't worry about it Sakura – chan! We always worry about you all the time. And besides," he whispered low in her ear and soft enough that Sasuke cannot hear, "You've been staring at Sasuke – teme's back since we left the village. Are you still thinking about 'that' time?"

Knowing that Naruto could easily read her mind, she tentatively nodded and he broke off with a wide grin. "Ah, don't worry about Sasuke – teme, Sakura – chan. Even if he decides to sneak out again and seek out Orochimaru, I'll beat him into a pulp and haul him back home for you!" He watched Sasuke walking farther and farther away from them, a solemn expression in his face. 'Even if he doesn't deserve to be worthy of you, Sakura – chan, I swear I'll beat some sense out of him to make him notice you.' He leered then added in his thoughts. 'And besides, my beloved ramen is at stake.'

* * *

Sasuke glared at the sea in front of him. Nothing but sea encircled their ship as they sailed off to Degarashi Port. He leaned on the wooden mast of the ship, arms folded in front of him as he watched the sun setting beyond the horizon. He mentally ticked away the hours they've spent since they left the Hidden Leaf and he sighed in relief that they were still on schedule. They can't waste anymore more time. The sooner they finish in less than a week, the better.

Loud gagging sounds reached his ears as he cocked his head to the side, looked behind his back and saw none other than his pink – haired teammate hunched over the wooden rails, the sounds obviously coming from her as if she wanted to expel something from her stomach and out of her mouth. He listened for a while and after hearing it from going bad to worse, he walked towards his teammate and laid a hand on her back. "Go on. Let it out."

She was a bit surprised at first but the vomiting sensation came up to her again, so she spent another 30 minutes retching her guts out with Sasuke – kun rubbing her back firmly to stimulate her urge to vomit. After several minutes, she slumped down in the ship's wooden floor with him supporting her with his hand on the small of her back. He stared at her dim green eyes. "Are you feeling better now?"

She was too limp to speak and he heaved a sigh. Swinging her up into his arms, he carried her back to their room and kicked the door closed with his foot. He placed Sakura in her bed and pulled the covers above her chin. Opening her eyes groggily, she tried to speak to him but Sasuke looked back at her with a sad smile. "You don't have to say it. I'm not going to leave again." A lone tear escaped her cheek and he brushed it off with his fingertip.

Satisfied with his answer, she slept off to dreamland while he continued to watch her, his eyes focused on her face. He didn't hear the door open and Naruto let himself in.

"Seasick?" was all he asked and Sasuke answered with a brief nod. He went to sit at the edge of the bed and watched Sakura sleep. There were silent for a few minutes until Sasuke began to speak. "Any luck in finding anything regarding the mission?"

"No. The captain and the crew never heard of rare dumplings in Tea Country." Naruto leaned against the bedpost and crossed in arms. "Maybe we could ask Jirocho – **Oyabun** about the dumplings since he's the one who manages the Degarashi Port. He may have learned somewhere about those ominous dumplings. And besides," he grinned coyly. "I get to see that Idate again."

Sasuke snorted derisively. "Yeah, you'll meet your lousy counterpart again." When he felt Naruto's blue eyes trained dangerously on him, he shrugged passively then returned his attention back to Sakura. Naruto observed him for a few minutes then grinned slyly. "You're worried about Sakura – chan, are you Sasuke – teme?" When he didn't answer, Naruto leaned closer to him and whispered, "What do you think will happen if she goes out with another man?"

The thought of Sakura with another man roused a stirring of something fiery inside Sasuke's body. He instantly snapped. "Who are you thinking she'll be going out with? Thick brows?" Naruto gave a hoot at his answer as he added, "Because if she'll agree to go out with fuzzy eyebrows, I'll tie her up and lock her inside her house." Naruto laughed louder as he placed his hands on his sides to keep himself from rolling at the floor and laugh until it hurts. He brushed stray tears away from his face due from laughing and pointed a finger at Sasuke.

"Aha! So you do admit! You like Sakura – chan! **Wahahahahaha!**" Naruto laughed like a crazy fox at Sasuke's expense, suddenly aware that Naruto's mirth might wake Sakura up so he raised a fist and smacked Naruto on the head. "Be quiet dobe or you'll wake her up."

Rubbing his throbbing head, Naruto pouted as he crossed his arms. "You're so mean, Sasuke – teme! If Sakura – chan was awake, I'll tell her that you're picking on me again!" Sasuke gave him an "I don't care" look as he continued to stare back at Sakura's face. He felt a blanket tossed around his shoulders and turned to look at Naruto who was climbing into his own bed and was muffling a yawn.

Sasuke heard Naruto saying something under his breath before lying down to sleep. "What I am saying is…what if the 'man' I'm talking about that she is going out with is 'you'?"

He didn't answer nor had Naruto waited for his reply since he already dozed off just as soon as his head hit the pillow. He shrugged his shoulder indifferently as he continued his vigil at Sakura's bedside. Suddenly, he didn't feel so worn-out anymore. To be honest, he was baffled. Why would he care a lot of great deal with his pink – haired teammate? She was a medical specialist; she can take care of herself. Yet, there was this irritating part in his brain telling him that he wanted to look after this girl in any way he can.

Oh great. Now he was finally experiencing the teenage hormonal - flux thing called Puberty. And for him, the well – known Uchiha Sasuke, the road to Puberty was another groundbreaking step in achieving his so – called Humanity. To put things simple, when it came to girls, flirting and courting…he was well…just plain suck

* * *

The Degarashi Port was still the same busy place with the people hustling and bustling in the port's stalls or board ships that are bound to some countries. Naruto skipped happily away from their ship as he waved his hand vigorously, signaling to go faster. "Oi, let's get this show on the road!"

Sasuke grunted as he forced his legs to move faster, but due to the excessive weight placed on his shoulders, he could not be faster and he's walking in ten steps per second. He clenched his teeth as he watched Naruto run away to inspect some new finds at the souvenir stalls. He felt a slight movement from his back and he turn to take a quick look and view Sakura jerk uneasily in her position. He'd been carrying her piggyback since they left the ship, and when they found out that she was too weak to stand up by herself; he and Naruto argued that morning on who will carry her.

She had gotten herself sick from their trip due to seasickness. At first, he and Naruto were deathly worried on how to take care of her, but since she can't use her medical jutsus, they had to rely on their own instincts to restore their teammate's health. Since they're heading to Tea Country, they'd meet up with Jirocho and by luck, to find a doctor for Sakura.

"Ah, you're so slow, Sasuke – teme! Why don't you walk a bit faster like I do?" Naruto teased as he saw Sasuke's face flush in anger. He smirked as he went to Sasuke's side, looking at Sakura slumping weakly on his back. "Aaawww…ain't Sakura – chan cute when she sleeps?" Naruto cooed as he lifted up a hand to touch Sakura's hair.

SMACK!

Naruto flew backwards, going down, down into the depths of the sea. Sasuke cracked the knuckles in his left hand as he continued to walk, leaving Naruto sputtering sea foam in his mouth as he swim ashore to follow him. The next time Naruto decides to pull off a trick behind him, he'll knock the living daylights out of him twenty times more. That should teach him not to mess with him when he's pissed off.

…………

"Welcome back. I see the last few years had been good to you," Wasabi Jirocho greeted Naruto as he entered the waiting room. Naruto gave a crisp salute. "It's also nice to see you again, Jirocho – Oyabun! We decided to pay you a visit, and also, to ask for your help in regards to our mission," he explained as he watched the respected leader of the Wasabi Clan seated himself in front of him. After getting himself comfortable, Jirocho intently eyed Naruto with an inquiring look then nodded in understanding.

He waved a hand at him to continue as the maids enter the room, their arms laden with tea and cakes. "I see that you're here for some important matters. Do tell me what it is." He gave another wave and the servants bowed humbly then left the room. He motioned for Naruto to have some of the refreshments served. He instantly snatched himself a red bean cake and munched hungrily.

After eating, Naruto poured himself a cup of Oolong Tea and drank halfway through the cup. "Well, how do I say this…Actually, our sensei noticed that our teamwork is failing so he decided to put the three of us together into a test that would last for a week. If we can't finish this test on time, we're not going to receive missions anymore."

Jirocho's eyes widened in amusement, then he smiled as he stared at the blond – haired ninja who was still preoccupied in eating. "I understand your situation. If there's anything you need, let me know." He glanced at Naruto, puzzled as if there was something missing. "You said you were three when you arrived here. Where is the other two?"

Naruto kept munching, crumbs spilling from his mouth onto the floor. "Sasuke decided to wait outside and watch over Sakura – chan. She got ill while we made the trip here in Tea Country." His expression turned gloomy as he looked at the older man. "She is suffering from seasickness."

Jirocho stood up from his seat, surprising Naruto. "Is that so?" When Naruto nodded, he strode purposely outside and pushed the sliding door open to reveal Sasuke who cradled a still unconscious Sakura in his arms. Sasuke's head snapped to attention as he saw the leader of the Wasabi clan stare at him with empathy and walked towards them. He pulled off a kunai from his leg holster and held it in front of him and Sakura. "What do you want?" he inquired unperturbedly.

The older man gave him a reassuring smile. "You're worried about the girl, am I right?" When Sasuke didn't reply, he moved a bit closer to him. "Let me help her. You must know that I mean no harm," Jirocho added as he saw the raven – haired boy's back straightened when he heard the word "help". Using that to muster confidence, he finally went closer to them and felt Sakura's forehead with the back of his hand. His eyebrows scrunched together when he felt her skin was cold and clammy.

"Hmm…she appears dehydrated," Jirocho proclaimed, and seeing Sasuke's face contort from the news, he added, "Don't worry, as long as she takes adequate amount of fluids and rest, she'll be well in no time."

"Aa," Sasuke replied curtly. Naruto came out of the house and saw Sasuke and Jirocho discussing about Sakura, with the raven – haired boy nodding in some sort of agreement. He immediately went to Sasuke's side and asked, "What did I miss?"

Jirocho turned to him. "We're just having a discussion about your stay here in Tea Country. Since you'll be my guests for tonight, why don't you stay here?" He offered a comforting smile. "It's the least I can do for helping us back then. And also, to give your teammate a rest."

Naruto went teary – eyed from Jirocho's gesture. "Arigatou, Jirocho – Oyabun!" He gave a crooked grin at Sasuke's direction. "See, Teme! If you had only listened to what I said, then we'd be able to finish our missions faster!"

Sasuke only gave a grunt in response. He hoisted Sakura up on his back while Naruto collected their belongings. Jirocho motioned them to follow him as he led them into the place where they would spend the night. They stopped in front of a huge sliding door, and when Jirocho opened it, he ushered them inside.

* * *

The room was large and it had two dividing walls, separating it into three makeshift bedrooms. Naruto gawked at their place and whistled loudly as he surveyed the entire room. "Wowee…this is humongous!" He raced towards the room in the right. "I'll take the one with the big window!"

Sasuke gave a shrug as he ambled towards the middle part of the room and put Sakura in bed. He left her belongings next to her bedside table then pushed a divider that was connected to another bedroom. He stashed his stuff on top of his bed then returned to Sakura's room. He dragged a chair and sat on it, facing her as Naruto entered the room. He was wearing a self-satisfied smirk on his face. "How's Sakura – chan?"

Sasuke gave an offhand shrug. "Dehydrated. She needs to drink plenty of liquids and sleep." Needless to say, Sakura was too frail when it comes to doing strenuous missions like this. He gritted his teeth. Damn, was this still part of what Kakashi called Teamwork? He glanced at Naruto who was gazing outside the window. He clenched his fist as he called upon his loudmouthed comrade's attention. "Oi, dobe."

He received an annoyed glare from Naruto. He didn't care. "I was wondering, what if we return Sakura back to Konoha and do this mission ourselves?" Naruto opened his mouth to speak but he abruptly continued, "We're the ones who caused this to happen. It's unfair to her if we're going to drag her down with us since we're supposed to be the ones to get punished."

Naruto went into deep thinking as he considered Sasuke's notion. "Hmm…you're right. Frankly, I never wanted Sakura – chan to do all the work even though she did nothing wrong." He eyed Sasuke with an encouraging look. "As soon as she gets back in shape, we'll return to Konoha and leave her there. We'll do the hunt, just the two of us."

Sasuke nodded in understanding then Naruto paced towards the door. He took hold of the sliding door's handle then glanced at Sasuke. "I'll just go and see Jirocho – Oyabun for awhile. What about you?"

He turned to Sakura's direction. "I don't feel like taking a walk today."

Somehow a bit contented with his answer, Naruto left the room and closed the door behind him. Sasuke stared at the closed door for a few minutes then turned his attention back to their pink – haired teammate slumbering in her bed. He tucked a strand of hair away from her face as he crossed his arms and decided to take a semblance of sleep as well.

* * *

"The tourist spots are booming in the business lately. Although, the Degarashi port is small, we can still accommodate lots of tourists who are here for a vacation." Jirocho pointed a resort not far from where they stood. Naruto let out a hoot of excitement as he watched tourists go in and out of the resort, wearing colorful yukatas and playing in casinos located next to the resort. His blue eyes were so engrossed in watching his surroundings that he didn't become aware of a familiar figure sauntering deliberately in their direction. Jirocho looked at his side when he sensed the person go in close proximity and nodded at his greeting. "Idate."

Morino Idate gave a sensible grin. "I'm here, Oyabun. And it seems like we have an unexpected visitor." He smirked as he saw Naruto's eyes went large when he finally recognized him. "Good to see you again, Naruto."

"Idate! I can't believe it, it's you," Naruto exclaimed, exchanging firm handshakes and a pat on their backs. Idate scrutinized Naruto's appearance from head – to - toe and mused inwardly. 'He'd grown bigger since I last saw him at the Todoroki Shrine's Race.' He suddenly remembered something. "Naruto, how did you get here? And what are you planning to do in Tea Country? Are you on a mission?"

Naruto tucked his arms behind his head. "Yup. We're on a mission more likely known as a "**Scavenger Hunt**". Kakashi – sensei made this up since he saw me and Sasuke – teme arguing one time when we're about to have a mission." He let his arms drop to his sides, a hesitant look on his face. "While we were traveling here, Sakura – chan got seasick so Jirocho – Oyabun decided to let us spend the night at his house while we do the mission." He grinned crazily at Idate's concerned expression. "I guess it's a reunion huh?"

Idate gave a vexed sigh. "I see, so Sakura – san got sick. Where is she?"

"Back at Jirocho – Oyabun's place. Sasuke's with her now," Naruto answered giddily like a girl.

Idate shot Naruto a perplexed look. "Sasuke?"

"Yeah, Sasuke! Don't you remember him? He was with us when we were assigned to guard you during the race," Naruto hurriedly explained, a bit bewildered that Idate didn't remember his blue – clad teammate with an intimidating expression. 'But he's a dupe when it comes to courting girls,' he thought in a funny manner. Sasuke should be grateful that he, Naruto, was helping him and Sakura hook up together. After all, it was for the sake of his dearly loved ramen.

Idate seemed to take a step back and Naruto watched in confusion as Idate walked into the direction of the Wasabi home. He yelled at him. "Oi, Idate! Where are you going?" Idate gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "I just need to pick a few things at the house. We'll continue our chat later, Naruto." Before Naruto could utter a word, Idate darted for home. A fleeting thought passed through the Kyuubi heir's mind as a knowing smile crossed his face. 'Could it be…?'

* * *

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Sasuke watched the wall clock struck to 7 in the evening and heaved a sigh. It's been four hours since they had arrived from Konoha and so far, they hadn't made a move yet to find clues regarding the rare dumplings. He darted his gaze back to his sleeping teammate, which to his annoyance, slept longer than the usual. 'Probably got tired from all the nonsense stuff Kakashi made us do,' he ruefully thought. The sky slowly turned from its orangey glow due to the sunset into a black luster; the stars appearing in the dark sky slowly twinkled. He gave a small 'hmph' and crossed his arms.

The door suddenly slid open and Sasuke was taken aback when he saw a heavily cloaked figure with a straw-hat worn discreetly on his head walking towards Sakura's bed. His dark brow rose as he saw the person knelt down and felt her temperature with his hand.

The stranger let out a short "tsk". "Her fever's still high. We need to lower it, fast."

Sasuke stood up from his chair and gave defiant stare at the stranger. "And just who in the heck are you?"

The stranger gave a pained look. "Aw…you don't seem to remember me? How depressing. And Naruto told me that I would find you two in here."

Damn the guy was getting on his nerves. He pulled a kunai from his back pocket and aimed the sharp tip on the stranger's chest. "Who the hell are you? You'd better tell me or else your head will come flying out of this window in less than a minute." The stranger removed his hat and Sasuke's eyes went slightly wide as he recognized the person standing in front of him. He regained his composure in less than a second, and lessened the sternness of his glare. "You're Ibiki – san's brother."

It wasn't really that long since he last saw Morino Idate. For Sasuke, he was a bothersome, whining and infuriating client that they had to protect during the Todoroki Shrine Race. If he wasn't that lenient, he would've pushed Idate to die from falling to the cliffs but just like Kakashi said, a mission was a mission. He scrutinized Idate from head to toe. He had grown taller although they were now the same height, his dark brown hair pulled back into the same hairstyle that he wore when they first met, and he was wearing a black cloak with the disturbing straw hat that he removed when he inquired of his identity.

Idate flashed him a knowing grin. "And you're still unfriendly as ever, Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke gave him a stony look. "And you're the same loudmouthed ninja just like some guy I met before."

"Hey! You're so mean, Sasuke – teme!"

Their heads whipped around to see Naruto standing just outside the door, a teed - off expression shown in his face. He placed a bag of groceries next to the door and entered the room with a childish look at Sasuke. "You're picking on me again, Teme! What happened to your compassionate attitude back at Ichiraku when you paid 50,000 ryo for my twenty bowls of ramen?" he whined. Sasuke rolled his eyes in impatience as Naruto nagged again and again all the while Idate looked at the both of them in confusion.

Sasuke decided to drop down the subject. He ran his gaze to the still stunned Idate. Turning to Naruto, he said, "Looks like we need to explain this a lot further, dobe. I want to finish this mission and head home fast." He returned to his chair and straddled the seat facing Sakura. Naruto let out a trembling smile then faced Idate. "Uh, Idate, why don't we sit down, have a cup of tea and I'll tell you the reason why we're here."

…………

After drinking cups of Tea Country's famous brewed tea, they sat face – to face in the living room, Naruto and Sasuke sitting side-by-side facing Idate. Naruto finished his story and helped himself to another batch of manjyuu while Sasuke regarded him with a dark look. Idate stared at them for the longest while as he thought of something to say. He put his cup down. "I see. So you're here for the Tea Country's rare dumplings." He offered a bleak smile. "Unfortunately, the thing you're looking for does not exist here."

Naruto bolted upwards from his seat. "Nani? But there's got to be something right? I mean, Kakashi – sensei just used crappy terms like 'rare' to describe it but surely there's a very unusual dumpling regardless of what it is that exists here, right?" When Idate refused to answer, he sat back despairingly in his chair. Sasuke didn't make a notion about it; he just crossed his arms above his chest and closed his eyes in contemplation. Idate stared at his cup for a few minutes then something good popped inside his head. He gestured for Naruto and Sasuke to motion them to listen.

"Listen, the Tea Country has lots of dumpling stalls that catch the attention of certain tourists whenever they pay a visit here. So, what I'm trying to suggest is that we'll search every stall that sells an unusual dumpling that will pass out as 'rare'. How about that?" Idate suggested. Naruto's blue eyes sparkled with hope as he grasped Sasuke's hands and squeezed them tightly.

"Did you hear that, Sasuke – teme? We can finally end the second mission with Idate helping us! After we get the dumplings Kakashi wanted and Sakura – chan gets well; we can return to Konoha and finish the mission!" Naruto yelled happily, waving Sasuke's hands that were joined in his up and down in the air. Sasuke's face went red in embarrassment as he slapped Naruto's hands away.

"Let go of my hands, dobe! You're already spreading your diseases on my skin," he remarked angrily, standing up from his chair. Jamming his hands inside his pockets, he walked out of the room, leaving a puzzled Idate and a still delighted Naruto. Anxious to find out the cause of the Uchiha"s cold demeanor, Idate glanced at Naruto.

"Naruto, is Sasuke always like that? Ever since the first time I met him, he was always somber. I often wondered whether he had any emotions at all." He asked. Naruto thought about it for a moment then snapped his fingers.

"I know! Maybe he needs to get laid!" Naruto supplied. He sweatdropped when he saw the bewildered look Idate flashed on his own face. "Uuuhhh…I mean that's only a joke! What I'm trying to say is that Sasuke – teme has lots of things in his mind right now." He wiped his sweat that was already flowing like a fountain from his forehead. Idate gave a nod in understanding then rested his arms in front of the table. He gave a suspicious look at the blond ninja. "Tell me, is Sasuke worrying about Sakura – san?"

Naruto returned his look with one of his own. He grinned mischievously. "So you noticed it too, huh?" Tucking his arms behind his head, he slumped back in his chair. "Sasuke – teme is still confused whether he'll give in to his feelings and accept Sakura – chan or he'll go back into his 'I'm an avenger' state and me beating the crap out of him." He stared at the big moon looming in the trees. "And yeah, Sasuke's bloody hell worried about Sakura ever since she got sick from the ship."

Idate studied Naruto's words carefully. So the silent and stoic Uchiha – san has a weakness…huh? But even he, the great Idate – sama who was famous as a runner for the Wasabi clan and had his own set of fans, his thoughts always wavered to a certain pink – haired kunoichi who knocked his sandals off after protecting him bravely from his former mentor. Sakura – san he thought at first, was just another of those wannabe Konoha ninjas that do nothing except to show off. But his respect for her grew when she risked her life to save him, blocking his body with hers from a kunai, and she received poisonous senbons from his mentor for him. It was not unlikely that he would fall for Sakura. After all, he made an offer to marry her when they had first met.

A smile went up his face. Perhaps it was not yet too late to ask.

* * *

Sasuke went back to their room after getting pissed at Naruto's carefree attitude. Damn him, being hugged by his loudmouth teammate was embarrassing but holding his hands? That was worse! He almost knocked the lights out of Naruto but he was too uneasy and dead - tired to do it. His black irises went from cold to warm as he caught sight of his bed, lulling him to sleep. He glanced at the other room that was separated by the divider. Sakura must still be asleep. He shrugged his shoulder as he slumped back down on his bed without even bothering to change. Then sleep finally claimed him.

…………

He wasn't sure if he slept that long or he was only having a nap when he heard the sound of light footsteps padding slowly towards him. He cracked an eye to see who it was and he suddenly sat up when he saw none other than Sakura standing in front of his bed, her arms clutching her pillow. He shot her a questioning look.

"Anou…" she began. When he didn't move, she continued shyly. "I'm sorry to have worried you. I finally got enough rest and now I'm a bit hungry." She could see his eyebrow arching upwards, urging her to go on. She took a deep breath. "I already went to Naruto's room to ask for help, but he's now fast asleep. I thought about asking you but it seems that you're also ready for bed." She gave a low bow in apology and turned on her heel to leave the room when she felt him briefly touch her hand. Sasuke shook his head as he grasped her small hands firmly.

He gave her a reassuring smirk. "I see what you're trying to imply." But then his dark eyes softened. "But somehow, we can do a little something for that appetite of yours." He pulled her to sit on his bed then went to his bag and rummaged for food. Minutes later, Sakura was happily munching on sweetened rice cakes and tea that Sasuke himself brewed after finding some tea leaves that Naruto had stashed inside his bag when he wasn't looking. He watched her heartily ate her meal and a certain fondness washed over him.

Sakura patted her mouth dry with a napkin. "Any luck in finding anything?"

Sasuke gave a snort. "We're going to search every dumpling stall in Tea Country for the rare dumplings."

"I see. And we've got to find one before sundown tomorrow." She sipped on her tea, savoring the bittersweet taste. Afterwards, she fiddled with her cup, thinking of something else to say. She looked at Sasuke. "Don't worry, I'll be up and ready for tomorrow to help you guys."

He rose up a hand at her words. "No."

"No?"

"No," he repeated tersely.

Her jade eyes blinked in confusion. "But why not? Don't tell me you guys are going to leave me here all by myself!" she protested, staring at Sasuke's onyx orbs that were always devoid of any emotion. Was he crazy? Leaving her alone while they do all the work? Didn't he get what Kakashi – sensei had said before they received the test? It was all about **_Teamwork_**!

He shrugged complacently. "You're sick. And we can't allow any casualties while doing this mission." He returned her gaze with his steady one. "You need to take a rest. Afterwards, once Naruto and I finally get the dumplings, we'll head straight back to Konoha and tell Kakashi to relieve you of the mission." He had expected her to be pleased that she will be able to let go of the burden that he and Naruto had caused. But, instead of showing expressions of lightening up, she showed a 'down in the dumps' look. Her shoulders drooped slowly, her head bowed down.

"Are you trying to say that I will only hinder you and Naruto in the mission?" When he failed to answer, she let out a cheerless sigh. "Tell me, Sasuke – kun, what am I to you aside from being your genin cellmate for the past few years?" She kept her eyes glued to her shaking hands. "Do you still think that I'm that same weak, clingy, annoying girl that you used to know since we were first assigned to a team?"

"Sakura…" Okay, so he was unsure of what to say. Seeing her all whiny and weepy all the time made his heart constrict tightly. Was this still part of the Puberty stage that he was forced to enter to? Geez, if he couldn't undergo this stage, he'll kill himself off with a kunai for sure. But, in some deeper parts of his mind, he didn't want to hear those sorts of things she was saying right now in front of his face. It was ringing up his ears. She looked at him questioningly. Oh. He had to say something now.

Taking a deep breath, he observed the moon quietly from the window next to his bed. Avoiding her gaze, he spoke. "What do I think? You're still that annoying girl that I first encountered back in the academy." He felt the tension hanging in the air but honesty forced him to add, "But that doesn't mean I'm saying you're weak and all the negativity you came up to inside your head."

She choked back a sob. His frankness hurt her. "Then what do you mean by that, Sasuke – kun? I don't under stand every word you said." She couldn't help but question his words back in the ship. Didn't he say he'd never leave again? He meant not leaving Konoha. Not her. "Are you saying that I'm burdening **_you _**whenever we do our missions because you're tied down in protecting me?"

He growled slightly. "Quit putting words in my mouth."

She prodded further, not caring that the tension was emanating danger from the Uchiha heir. "But it is isn't it? You're always silent, you never speak what's on your mind and when you do, you always end up hurting someone's feelings." _Like me_, she dejectedly thought. In addition to her misery, her tears started to fall, spilling on top of her lap. To her surprise, he moved closer to her, his free hand reaching up to touch one wet cheek. "Oi, yamero. You're always like this. Crying unimportantly."

She cried harder this time. "Unimportantly? You're important to me!"

He laughed bitterly. "Me? Important? Sakura, you're the least of all people I ever come up with to worry about me." With both hands on either side of her cheeks, he pushed her face closer to him and leaned his own forehead against her widely cute one. "That's why I considered you annoying. You're annoying because you're always in my head. The very memory of you brings a nagging part out of me, asking why you're always cramming space in my brain along with the dead thoughts of my family."

"Sasuke…" So she was at a loss for words. She never expected to hear this from her firm – mouthed teammate. She heard him chuckle quietly. He whispered. "No longer with the '– kun' now, huh?" She blushed under his furtive stare. "Now do you understand why I always called you annoying? Since you're the one who brought this up, can you now come up with a reasonable answer regarding your outburst before, Sakura?" he asked, his palms still enclosing her cheeks.

She sniffed. "I don't know, quit putting words in my mouth," she retorted weakly, bringing back his earlier statement. He smirked, realizing he had won. But that doesn't mean he'll sleep all throughout without even getting something in return. Using his hands, he tilted her head up, facing him while he brought his own head downwards to meet hers halfway. He could see her eyes closed, her lips slowly parted and he leaned further to capture her pink, pouting mouth with his own…

"OI, TEME! I'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY TO YOU! IT'S… Holy crap, what the…WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?** WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO SAKURA – CHAN**?"

The two abruptly broke apart as they saw Naruto, clad in his frog – printed pajamas pointing out accusingly at them, his cerulean eyes going extensive for its size. Sakura squeaked embarrassingly in front of Naruto, while Sasuke remained impassive yet his eyes held homicidal intent for the **_useratonkachi_** who unexpectedly ruined the entire mood. Naruto walked closer to them, a goofy grin pasted on his face.

He sniggered. "Oh I get it, you're a cunning one, Sasuke – teme! I didn't know you've planning some weird stuff to Sakura – chan while I wasn't looking!" He cast a playful gaze at his pink – haired teammate. "And Sakura – chan was still recovering from her sickness." He enjoyed the perilous glare his raven – haired teammate kept throwing at his way. He laughed harder. "Careful, Sasuke – teme or you might wear Sakura – chan down. Who knows? I may become a godfather soon!"

"**NARUTO!"** His teammates yelled in unison.

Naruto, however, continued to laugh as he retreated back to his room, the sound of his amusement echoing throughout the entire bedroom. "I knew it, I just knew it!" he shouted back at the two who were still frozen and blushing furiously.

Sasuke raked a hand through his hair while Sakura fidgeted nervously. Minutes passed and neither one of them made the initiative to speak first. Finally, Sakura stood up from the bed and picked up her pillow. "Um…I'm going to sleep now." She scurried towards the door. Before she could grasp the handle to slide it open, Sasuke's arm latched upon her upper arm. He swiveled her to face him, her cheeks in heat as she saw his eyes smolder like hot ash. He cupped her face, angled it upwards and she was rendered speechless when his smirking mouth touched her forehead. Her knees suddenly gave way and Sasuke was fully aware of this, he grabbed both her arms and steadied her.

"Oi, don't tell me you're getting sick again," he said wryly. She flashed him a small smile. " I'm alright, I just wobbled a bit."

His eyes flared concern. "You're not going to come with us to do the mission tomorrow."

"But I…" she griped weakly, bringing them back to their earlier argument.

"No buts. Unless you want me to try some of the least few things I come up with to change your mind."

Sakura was dumbfounded. She didn't want to move beyond Sasuke's much threatening side. She gave a resounding sigh, admitting defeat and saw his smirk grew wider. And since when was she following orders from him? That she didn't know. Or maybe she was too dazed from his kiss that she let him do his way around her. Either that or she was just too tired. He guided her back to her room and watched her as she tucked herself back to bed. He was about to leave when she called out to him.

"Sasuke – kun?"

"Aa."

"Thank you."

"Aa."

"Sasuke – kun?"

"Aa."

"Good night."

He chose not to answer and closed the sliding door with a soft click. He trudged back to his room, and stopped halfway and saw Naruto wide-awake and grinning extensively towards him. He brushed past his blond teammate and slid his door open. He turned to look back at Naruto and was irritated that he didn't yet moved from his position and still grinned at him. "What" he asked harshly.

"You're really did it, Sasuke – bastard. You're totally besotted to Sakura – chan. I guessed in the halfway of the mission, I'll expect the both of you making weird noises behind a huge tree while I take a nap." He laughed as he avoided Sasuke's fist that aimed straight at his face. "Our Sasuke – teme is all grown up now! Heeheehee!" He slapped his own butt to tease him further. "Sasuke – chan is in love with Sakura – chan!" he added, changing his normal voice tones into his singsong one.

Sasuke surrendered haplessly, he was damn tired and he needed sleep. He entered his bedroom and shut the door loudly and smacked Naruto's straight in the face, sending him tumbling down the floor. He clutched his reddening face all the while laughing inwardly. "He's too freaked out to admit it! Woo hoo, free ramen's still on the way! I can't wait to tell Kakashi – sensei about this, and Hinata – chan too! She'll be happy that I'll treat her to Ichiraku, compliments of Sasuke – teme!"

He hummed back to his room, his shrill whistle ricocheted throughout the whole room, reaching Sasuke as he tossed and turned in his sleep. Damn dobe, if he weren't for his teasing, now he couldn't achieve any sleep. He grumbled as he covered his face with his pillow. He needed to rest for tomorrow. Suddenly, thoughts of a pink – haired kunoichi flashed through his mind. He smirked. He could finally get his revenge against Naruto now that he convinced Sakura to rest in bed. He laughed softly as he slowly drifted to sleep. Life was going smoothly as he'd planned.

* * *

**Author's note**: I made this longer to make up for my absence. I'm still working on my other fics, I only have two hands to type in the keyboard anyway. If only I could use my feet… hmm… Anyways, still the same comments, suggestions, reviews are welcome! Part Two of the Tea Country's Rare Dumplings will follow soon. For the reviews, thank you, thank you, thank you **THANK YOU**! Ja!


	5. Tea Country's Rare Dumplings 2

THE JOYS OF TEAM 7

Chapter 4: Tea Country's Rare Dumplings Part II

* * *

The mornings in Tea Country were still busy as always, the sellers from their own respective stalls inspected their inventories first and then calculated their expected amount of sales for that particular day. The buyers on the other hand, were also busy and making free reservations from the country's world famous resorts. The whole Degarashi Port was also busy in welcoming incoming and outgoing guests, gracing them with their hospitality and last minute services.

Naruto stretched his hands upward and let out a long yawn. He adjusted his forehead protector tightly over his head as he stared at the busy people minding their own businesses. A big wide ludicrous smile flashed across his face as he remembered the events yesterday. He cast a sideways glance at his black – haired teammate who was absolutely crabby especially in the mornings.

Sasuke began shrugging his shoulder; all the while muttering cursed words about 'getting off early' and 'stupid alarm clock didn't go off' sorts of thing. Naruto snickered. As if he didn't know, he caught Sasuke secretly checking out Sakura – chan's room, making sure that she was safely tucked in bed sleeping. His smile expanded. Oh, he'd enjoy making fun of his once regal now comical teammate.

"Damn it, where's Idate? We need to finish this so we can go home," Sasuke grumbled, crossing his arms. He squinted his eyes at the blinding rays of the sun. "The dumpling stalls are about to open and they will be filled up with customers soon."

Naruto threw an unhappy look at him. "Cool it, Sasuke – yarou! The guy just went out and made some errands. He'll be here any second. Or," he leaned closer to Sasuke, his blue eyes hinting mischief. "You're just anxious to go back to the Wasabi home and check out on Sakura – chan!" He watched his stoic comrade's glare turned dangerous towards him. He snickered. "Wahahahaha! I can easily read you now more than ever Sasuke – teme!"

"Bastard," Sasuke cursed under his breath. Now he really hated mornings. First, dealing with the dobe's sharp teasing. Second, suffering from being burned by the sun's rays. He couldn't help but feel concerned about his skin. He had a pale complexion to begin with anyway.

Naruto's hootings grew louder, so Sasuke walked towards him and smacked him over the head. He didn't care as Naruto went sailing downwards to the sea again and seeing him fly away from his viewpoint, he couldn't help but smirk. He was already feeling better now after hitting the dobe first thing in the morning. His smirk turned into a self – satisfying one when he heard Naruto's body splashed into the water. He sensed a presence and looked over his back and saw Idate jogging towards him.

"Ei, sorry I'm late! I went to do Jirocho – Oyabun's bidding so I could likely say I'm twenty minutes late." Idate gave a nervous laugh when he felt Sasuke's creepy look giving him the jitters. Damn, does this guy ever smile at all? He heard loud splotching sounds then his eyes went large as he recognized Naruto trudging towards them, all wet and wild. Water dripped endlessly from his face and seaweed clumped on top of his head. A crab was stuck in his butt, its pincers pinching the skin and a fish, which looked like a catfish was wriggling out from Naruto's mouth. Sasuke mentally told himself not to snicker.

"Temmffmffmfyoufffffdfdmffmfonfnldf on…purpose!" Naruto sputtered, with the catfish's head still inside his mouth. He spitted it out and the poor fish wriggled helplessly into the ground. He pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke. "Wait till I get even with you, Sasuke – bastard!"

"Go ahead and do whatever you like, dobe. I'm not in the mood to fight with you today…Yawn," Sasuke replied sarcastically, covering his mouth with his hand as he yawned. Sparks flew between Naruto and Sasuke, each awaited the move of the other. Idate sweat dropped. Obviously, he wasn't aware of the cockfight relationship between the two leaf shinobis and he suddenly remembered how Sakura managed to break the rambunctious two apart. He moved in - between Naruto and Sasuke and held them away from each other at arms length.

"Oi, yamero. We have a long day up ahead if you two will keep on fighting like there's no tomorrow," he calmly stated. He could feel enormous amounts of chakra radiating from the both of them. Sasuke and Naruto still glared at each other then crossed their arms and gave little 'hmphs'. He breathed a sigh of relief. He motioned them to move a bit closer to him as he informed them of his find.

"Listen, here in Tea Country, there are a total of fifty dumpling stalls flanked at every tourist resort. Most of them are either famous bestsellers or some close early if they don't earn that much money."

Naruto blanched at Idate's report. "Nani! You mean we're going to search every single one of those **fifty** stalls that you've been talking about? Our search won't even last in one day! And we've got a major problem here it's almost **noontime**. Finding those dumplings will be extremely difficult especially when there are lots of people buying from their stalls!" He gave a shrill cry. "I don't wanna!"

Sasuke scoffed. The useratonkachi was getting on his frazzled nerves. "That's why we need to start now. Less talks more work." He walked a few steps away from them and gave Naruto a sardonic look. "And coming from you dobe, if you keep on talking like that there will be a least possibility that we'll find the dumplings." With that, he turned his back on them and resumed walking. Naruto raised an angry fist at him, "Just wait and see, teme! I'll tell Sakura – chan you've been picking on me again!"

Idate sweat dropped. "You're really going to tell Sakura – san that Sasuke is picking on you?" Naruto crossed his arms again and huffed. "Hmph! Sasuke – teme's only weakness is Sakura – chan. He's a nervous wreck whenever something bad happens to her." He grinned evilly. "And he also turns into a jealous freak whenever a guy's getting cozy with Sakura – chan." He patted his jaw. "Imagine the many times he smacked me whenever I get close to her."

Idate laughed. "So the silent Uchiha had a jealous streak in him, huh?" Suddenly, a fleeting thought crossed his mind and he leaned closely to Naruto and whispered in his ear. "Ne, Naruto what will happen if I try to hit on Sakura – san? Will Sasuke hit me in the jaw many times just like you?"

Naruto waved a danger sign frantically in front of Idate's face. "Are you out of your mind? I wouldn't do that if I were you, buddy! Sasuke – teme may not be vocal about his feelings for Sakura – chan, but he's mighty hazardous once he sees you making moves on her." He gave Idate an admonition, "You don't want to mess with Sasuke – teme's dreadful side."

"Oh? From the looks of it, they're not in a relationship. And besides, I've taken quite a liking to Sakura – san. Don't you think it'd be nice if she is better off with someone else rather than with him?" Idate questioned, still deep in thought. Naruto rotated his finger in circles next to his ear, indicating that Idate had lost his marbles. "You're quite an atrocious fellow! Not even me can contain him down once he's in obliteration mode. Only Sakura – chan has the power to stop him."

Idate's eyes grew cloudy. "And Sakura – san's not here anyway. And besides," he smiled, "it would be nice to see him go red in jealousy once in a while."

Naruto threw up his hands in exasperation. "Fine! Go do it your way; I'm not going to help you. I've suffered too many punches from that bastard. Phwee… And I was so engrossed in helping them." He tucked his arms behind his head. He gave a wry look at Idate. "Just be wary once you see a flicker of steam shooting out of his ears." He walked away from Idate to follow Sasuke and start searching for the dumplings. Idate watched him go, a pleasant smirk on his face.

"Of course."

* * *

The sound of the birds chirping from the windowsill coaxed Sakura to wake up. She blinked one eye open and watched the sunlight streaming the whole room with light from the open window. She glanced at the wall clock in her room and winced when it read 12:10pm.

Oh damn. I overslept.

She rose from the bed and decided to peek on her teammates. She grabbed her robe and opened Naruto's door first, thinking that the blond ninja might had left a note on his bedside table. Finding out there was none; she headed to Sasuke's room next. She sucked air in her lungs; gathered up courage and without a word grasped the door's handle and pushed it open.

There was also no sign of her raven – haired teammate; just the sight of his blue shirt folded neatly on top of the chair and his scent permeated the entire room. She ambled towards the chair and clutched his shirt close to her body. She closed her eyes as she brought the fabric to her face, inhaling his clean musky scent and remembering the time when he let her borrow his shirt.

"_Sasuke – baka has taken a crush on you."_

Sakura's hand swept up her forehead as memories passed inside her mind. A red blush crept through her cheeks as she pondered on Naruto's words back then at the lake in Konoha. Yes, even she had to admit, Sasuke mellowed a bit ever since they started this mission. She felt her cheeks went aflame as she remembered that she and Sasuke almost kissed when Naruto suddenly entered and spoiled the moment. Her hand went up to her forehead on where Sasuke's lips brushed her skin. She flushed. He really did kiss her.

"Oh no, what am I thinking? Now's not the time for this, I've got to help the guys in finding the dumplings!" She scrambled out of Sasuke's room. After freshening up and donning her red cheongsam, Sakura tied a red headband around her short hair and dashed outside the door. No matter what the consequences Sasuke would grace her with, she needed to help them in any way she can. After all, they were a team.

* * *

"Damn! Wrong again!"

Sasuke watched Naruto curse again and again as he searched for the next stall. He wiped sweat from his forehead as he looked askance at the several stalls that he already checked and winced. So far they have checked on 5 stalls and none yielded the rare dumpling they wanted. He raked his fingers through his jet-black hair as he pondered on what to do. Checking all the stalls will consume up their remaining time and it will cause a deduction in their one – week duration. '_Kuso, if we dawdle a bit longer in Tea Country, who knows what kind of traps Kakashi whipped up to ensnare us all.'_

"Not again!" Naruto screeched as he ambled angrily out of another dumpling stall, hands jammed in his pockets. He gave a sour look at his way. "What about you, Sasuke – teme? Find anything?"

He shook his head. "I've already checked out 5 stalls. Adding up yours, that's 10 already. I wonder how Idate fared."

Naruto huffed. "Bah! Who cares? We should keep on looking! I don't want to return to Sakura – chan empty – handed." He flashed a mocking grin at Sasuke. "Surely you don't want that too, don't you Sasuke – teme?" He watched his silent comrade's expression turn from somber to ferocious. He sniggered as he strolled away to carry on his search.

Sasuke watched Naruto's form go farther and farther. He sighed deprecatingly and crossed his arms. Apparently, Naruto was enjoying his discomfort bit by bit. And it was all because of his confused sentiments towards their pink – haired teammate. Was he really smitten by her? Or he was only using her as an escape from the demons of his past? He was too frightened to make a choice in either of the two, but does it matter? Sakura was a kindhearted young woman who was at all times eager to aid her teammates with her medical skills whenever they're in danger. Her high – spirited behavior earned her Sasuke's admiration, after seeing her improved from the last few years.

However, for his part, she was too lenient and too forgiving especially when it comes to him. She welcomed him back with open arms even though he betrayed the village and fought against them. He remembered how her jade green eyes glistened with tears when she found out he aided Orochimaru in destroying Konoha. She tried to stop him from going over the dark side and after a great deal of convincing on Naruto's part, he managed to contain himself and decided to return back to Konoha with them.

"Kuso, what the heck am I thinking? I've got to focus more in the mission," he mumbled under his breath. He compelled his aching legs to move as he went to search for another stall.

It wasn't yet the time for him to sort out his feelings.

* * *

Sakura heaved a few catching breaths as she rounded up another corner. So far, she had rummaged three dumpling stalls and just like Naruto and Sasuke, she had no idea in how to search for the rare dumpling that Kakashi – sensei wants. Perspiration dampened her back as she stopped walking for a while and leaned against an electrical post that was next to a stall selling fresh tealeaves. The wood felt good against her skin and Sakura closed her eyes and savored the chilly feeling.

It was pure bad luck that she couldn't use her healing techniques to make herself feel better. She promised Kakashi – sensei that she is capable of finishing the mission without depending on her medical jutsus along with Sasuke and Naruto. One thing she didn't know is that she had little amount of stamina reserves in her body than her two comrades. Which is why, she disagreed to Sasuke's decision to make her stay in Jirocho – Oyabun's home in the first place. She wanted to show them how much she improved ever since they went on to their separate ways. She thought she'd never live without them, but with enough experience, she could fend off enemies with just her fist.

She was absorbed in her thoughts that two young girls passed her way, munching on dumplings and giggling about something. She blinked her eyes to focus around her surroundings and let a smile cross her face as she eavesdropped on their conversation.

"These dumplings are quite delicious! That stall we visited sure knows how to sell good stuff here in Tea Country!" The first girl with brown hair in pigtails commented. Her second friend giggled as she took another bite of the dumpling and chewed happily.

"Yeah, I know! Okasan told me that that stall was one of the best dumpling stalls here in the country. Also, I heard that the dumplings being sold there are considered **rare** since they're also known to be our daimyo's favorite food," the second girl piped in agreement.

Sakura's gulped a few amounts of air, she couldn't believe at what she had heard. '_Those girls might know something of where the location of the dumplings that Kakashi – sensei wanted_.' She leaned a bit closer to them, intent on finding out more information.

The brown pigtailed girl nudged her friend. "Let's go there sometime when we have enough money to buy lots of those dumplings. By the way, I saw a good-looking guy when I was on my way to meet you in the dumpling stall. He was so handsome, I couldn't take my eyes off him when he walked past me." She clasped her hands in front of her chest and sighed in a dreamy manner. "I wish I could've asked him his name. He was in some kind of a hurry, I wasn't unable to call his attention."

Her friend gave her a teasing smile. "Anzu, you're crushing on Idate – sama aren't you? I knew it; you've always had a crush on him ever since he won the Todoroki Shrine race from the Wagarashi clan."

Anzu glared lightly at her friend. "Tomo, you're mistaken. It's not Idate – sama that I was talking about!" She crossed her arms. "If you could see that guy I've seen earlier then you'll also drool like I did!"

Tomo snickered. "Oh yeah, right. You've always been saying that whenever Idate – sama doesn't take notice of you."

"Tomo!"

Sakura decided to butt in the two friends, strutting forward towards them. Tomo noticed her and gave her a small smile. "Nani?" Anzu stopped talking and was also staring at the cherry blossom haired female in front of them. She quirked one eyebrow up as she took notice of the stranger's slender but curvaceous body, skin like porcelain and pink – tinged cheeks. What strike Anzu most were her green eyes that shine like emeralds. Jealousy hit her. This foreigner was no doubt the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. More beautiful than her.

"Anou," Sakura began, watching the two girls eyeing her suspiciously. She cleared her throat to rid off hesitations. "I was wondering if you could tell me where is the dumpling stall you've been talking about. You see I'm new in this country so I guess I'm having a little trouble finding my way around. Could you help me?"

Anzu arched her eyebrow haughtily. "What's it to us?"

"Anzu!" Tomo scolded her friend. She gave a sympathetic smile to Sakura. "Of course we will. I apologize for my friend's misbehavior. She's not herself lately." Anzu gave her a warning look but she ignored it. "It's nice to meet someone new. I'm Tomo and this is my friend Anzu." Anzu only gave a grunt in greeting. Confused at the brown pigtailed girl's actions, Sakura gave a shy smile.

"You can call me Sakura."

"Sakura – san? What a lovely name. You said you wanted to go to the stall right? Then let's go, Anzu will show us the way," Tomo said then glared at her friend. "Won't you, Anzu?"

Anzu snorted but followed what her friend was ordering about. She lead the way for them, walking ahead and grumbling about something 'prettier' and 'she'd – better – not – mess – with – me'. Tomo urged Sakura forward and with wobbly legs, followed the two friends. She allowed a grin to grace her features as she stared at the bluish sky above her.

Sasuke – kun…Naruto…Finally, I have been of good use to you…

* * *

"Achoo!"

"Teme, are you sure you're okay? Don't tell me you're also sick just like Sakura – chan," Naruto remarked as he watched Sasuke sneezed another time. He handed Sasuke a strip of tissue, which he ungratefully accepted. He blew his nose soundly and threw it inside a garbage can next to them. Sasuke took a few short breaths then his expression grew serious.

"It's just a cold." He retorted dryly, paying no attention to Naruto's irritating looks. He pushed his raven bangs away from his face then let his gaze wander around in search of something. "Where's Idate?"

Naruto's eyes widened and gave him a disgusted look. "Oh, Idate? Geez, Sasuke you could have told me you were a bisexual! You already had Sakura – chan and yet you wanted Idate too? I didn't know aside from women you also like men too!"

SMACK!

Naruto was once again flown backwards into the sea and Sasuke muttered curses under his breath. 'He never learns,' he thought angrily as he waited for Idate to arrive. It was already mid afternoon and they were still 7 stalls short. Where the heck is that runner freak gone off to anyway?

"Oi! I found it!"

His head darted up to see Idate scurrying towards him. He unfolded his arms and gave a small 'hn'. Finally Idate was standing in front of him and stopped to catch his breath. He gave Sasuke a triumphant grin. "I finally got the information on where the rare dumplings are. They're found in the outskirts of the port and news say that by the end of sundown, the stall will automatically close." He gave a small grin. "Dumplings there are sold pretty fast. Since we've wasted so much time, we'd better head there quick or the tourists will buy off all the dumplings and leave us nothing."

Sasuke nodded as he walked off ahead of Idate. Idate shrugged at Sasuke's offhandedness then trotted after him, wondering in the back corner of his mind where Naruto went. Did he suffer another smacking again? He glanced at his black – clad comrade and shook his head. Well, Sasuke is Sasuke. Nobody can change that.

* * *

Anzu stopped in front of a dilapidated stall that was crowded by lots of people. Sakura was shocked to see tourists fighting over three pieces of dumplings and was horrified when a woman threw sand ona man's eyes as she grabbed a box of dumplings from his hands. She sweat dropped as she saw chaos all around her. Tomo stepped beside Sakura. "Well, we're used to this. **Densetsu no Odango **is very famous here in Tea Country. It was our daimyo's favorite. Legends say that there is a hidden message inside the dumplings and it will grant you one wish." She winked at Sakura. "It is also the same for fortune cookies."

Sakura nodded eagerly. Anzu crossed her arms. "Hmph! Let's go now, Tomo. We already brought her here, she can take care of herself." She brushed past Sakura harshly. "Excuse me!" Sakura stepped back, a little puzzled over Anzu's actions when suddenly, she heard the pigtailed girl sucked in a breath. Sakura watched her tugged Tomo by the arm and pointed in the direction of the object of her regard. Sakura glanced back and gulped when she followed their gaze.

And saw Naruto and Idate running towards her. "Sakura – chan! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in bed, sleeping!" Naruto whined by way of greeting. She gave a shaky laugh. "I'm all right now. And you brought Idate – san with you." She smiled at Idate. "It's nice to see you again, Idate – san." Idate flushed at her words.

Naruto nudged Sakura. "Oi, you'd better run and hide. If Sasuke – teme finds out that you've been wandering around here, who knows what'll happen to you if he catches you here with us."

Sakura swallowed nervously. "I know that!"

Suddenly, Tomo broke apart from her friend's grasp and waved hello to Idate. "Idate – sama, a pleasure to meet with you here! Who's your friend?" Idate nodded in greeting then stepped aside to introduce Naruto. "This is Naruto. Naruto, these are my friends here in Tea Country, Tomo and Anzu," he grinned as he watched Tomo feel embarrassed under Naruto's blue gaze.

"A pleasure to meet you here, Tomo – chan! Uh, where's your other friend?" Naruto asked. Sakura squeaked, then backed away from them as Tomo pointed out where Anzu was. Naruto looked sideways then saw Sakura darting behind the stall's curtain then grinned slyly. He observed with utter fascination as he saw what Anzu was ogling at. Tomo also blinked in awe as she also take in the view of none other than Sasuke walking purposely towards them.

Sasuke's gaze caught something unusual from behind the stall's curtain. His dark eyes narrowed as he grasped the idea of who was hiding behind it but told himself now's not the time. He'll deal with it later. He faced Naruto and Idate. "Well, we're here. Where's the stall you've been talking about, Idate?"

Idate pointed behind him. "Right there. As you can see, there are lots of people fighting over there. Well, this stall is famous for its raspberry topped dumplings. They say that it's the daimyo's favorite food and also the equivalent of fortune cookies." He smirked. "I've been here many times and the people considered the dumplings sold here as rare and legendary."

Naruto gave a happy whoop. "Yahoo! Finally we found it! There you see Sasuke – teme, if you only listened to me about trusting Idate then we're not going to end up running in circles for these dumplings!"

Sasuke gave a shrug as he scanned the entire stall. It was a cramp, aging stall with the signboard "DENSETSU" tacked on top and scrawled in messy letters. 'This is where the rare dumplings are? Judging by this place, it looks like it will collapse in any minute. But,' he thought as he saw people of all shapes and sizes pummel each other to grab a box of dumplings, 'This stall must have quite a reputation for their dumplings being fought at.'

Naruto looked at Sasuke. "So what are we going to do, **O fearless leader**? Are you going to give us the **Go **signal or what?"

Sasuke coughed. "All right dobe, you go first if that's what you wished."

"Ohhh yeahhh! Dumplings, here I come!" Naruto exclaimed in excitement as he charged forward to the stall. Idate walked ahead for a few steps then turned his head to face Sasuke. "What about you?" he asked.

He only shrugged. "Unfinished business."

Idate gave a curt nod in understanding as he followed Naruto into the stall. Sasuke watched his blond teammate as he cursed and yelped when he attempted to grab a box of dumplings from a fat lady. He felt someone pulling his sleeve and looked sideways to see Anzu close to him. He rose up a brow in question.

"Umm…you must be Sasuke – sama am I right?"

"Hn."

Anzu giggled. "I knew it! You're the man I've been waiting for in my entire life!" When Sasuke failed to respond, she immediately latched onto his arm and giggled again. He gave her a dark look as he pried himself off her. "Oi, let go."

"No I'm not! It's just like what my fortune in the dumplings said! You'll be the man I'm destined to be with forever," Anzu explained merrily as she pressed herself closer to him. Tomo blushed at her friend's forwardness. Sasuke, however, was getting impatient.

"Let go," he spoke in a serious tone. Anzu chose to ignore him and continued to cling to him tighter. He gave a reverberating sigh as he finally sighed in untangling himself from her grasp. Anzu pouted cutely at him, one that he found unnerving. He smirked at her. "Sorry, but I've got something to do. You're pining on a wrong guy."

Anzu still glued her love struck eyes at him. "That's okay. I'm still in love with you."

He only blinked. Damn the girl's persistence! But he managed to keep his temper in check. He flashed the girl a lazy smile. "You'll see what I mean," he told her as he turned on his heel and ambled away from them. Anzu still followed him with her gaze while Tomo rolled her eyes at her friend's actions. When he disappeared around the corner, Anzu squealed at her friend. "Isn't he handsome? He's the guy I was talking about, Tomo!"

Tomo grinned teasingly. "Yes he is. But Anzu, don't you think he might've someone close to him? I mean, it would be bad if you found out that he's taken."

Anzu puffed her cheeks in fury. "So what? I can steal him away from whoever hussy that he's with! Fate has already decided that he and I will be together!" She gave her friend a victory sign with her thumbs up. "Just watch and learn!"

"Whatever you say."

* * *

"Ooohhhh…the little wench! What the hell is she doing to Sasuke – kun, **my** **Sasuke – kun!** If only I could wring my hands around her neck," Sakura angrily said as she watched Anzu giggling like Sasuke's crazed fan back in Konoha. Inner Sakura also agreed on the same thing. "_Yeah, kill that bitch! She's stealing what is rightfully ours. Hell yeah!_" She was so busy viewing them from afar that she didn't notice someone standing behind the curtain. He pulled it aside and she yelped out in surprise as she saw who was behind her.

"I can't believe you didn't heed my order."

She smiled sweetly at him. "Hello Sasuke – kun."

He cocked his head to one side, his well – shaped eyebrow went up in a perfect arch. "Hello yourself. You're annoying you know that?"

"I hardly ever forget it."

"Hn," was all he said as he sauntered towards her. Sakura backed a few steps away from him, knowing that she had deliberately done something wrong. She gulped when her back hit the wall and Sasuke placed his hands on either side of her head, caging her in. She looked up at him meekly while he looked down at her with newfound authority.

"Anything you have to say in order to redeem yourself?"

She placed her hands on either side of his arms. She felt him twitch under her touch. "I'm sorry. I'm not going to do it again."

He leaned closer to her. "You've been rehearsing those lines before you went out on your own didn't you?" Sakura squeaked when she felt him cupped her chin with his hand and forced her to look back into his onyx orbs. There it was, the same smoldering gaze that she had seen back then in his room last night. '_But, I'm not going to give in to him! No!_' she mentally scolded herself.

"Maybe…" was all she said when she saw his mouth curved to another smirk as he bent down closer to her and she meeting him halfway. She can't wait to taste that quirking mouth of his when…

"**SASUKE – SAMA! WHERE ARE YOU? IDATE – SAMA ASKS FOR YOU!"**

Sasuke grumbled when he heard the annoying voice of the pigtailed girl that was clutching onto his arm earlier. He could feel Sakura fidgeting due to awkwardness and frustration because of the many times they were interrupted. It was okay if it was Naruto but…

"Sasuke – kun, we better go back, it's a bad time for us to…" she never got to finish when he caught her chin again and tilted it upwards for easy access to her mouth. He leaned again and almost banged his head on the wall when he heard Naruto this time calling out for him.

"**TEME! WHERE IN THE HELL ARE YOU? DON'T TELL ME YOU'VE GONE OUT WITH SAKURA – CHAN AND LEFT ME ALONE HERE!"**

Sakura let out a sheepish smile as she heard him groan and buried his face between her neck and shoulder. Unsure of what to do, she raised a trembling hand to stroke the fine hairs at the base of his neck. She was rewarded with his arms wrapping themselves around her waist and her green eyes widened when she felt a sharp tinge of pain on where his face was buried on her neck. "Eek!"

Sasuke pulled back from her, a satisfied smirk pasted on his face. Sakura's hand went up to her neck and rubbed the pain. "W – what did you do, Sasuke – kun?"

He pulled her hand away. "Just a bite."

"Nani!" Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment as she realized what he had given her. "Mou, you're such a mean person, Sasuke – kun! How am I going to cover this up?" She heard him chuckle much to her discomfort. "It's not funny!" she fumed.

He grabbed her by the wrist and laughed quietly when she squirmed under his hold. "Sasu…!" was all she managed to say when Sasuke pulled her collar down closer to her neck and simply covered the reddening mark. "You know that's not going to work either!" she complained halfheartedly. He only gave her a cynical smile.

"Bear with it. That's half of your punishment for disobeying my order," he replied dryly as he ran his fingers through her cherry pink locks. She gave him a soft glare. "Are you beginning to become some sort of a dictator? And what would be the other half?"

"You'll find out," he replied smugly as he tugged her hand and together, they went back to the others.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hmmphhh…there you have it, chapter 2 of the Tea Country Special. The last chapter will be posted soon; sorry for the long wait but this will be the longest mission in the whole hunt. I promised to write shorter for the future chaps but my imagination wouldn't let me, for now, hehehe! Anyweiz, thanks for the suggestions, you'll find them posted in the future chapters.

Yes, I've introduced some new characters, don't worry they're not going to affect the pairings – I just spiced the whole story up a bit. Oh, yes, additional fluff. They will appear more in the next stories until Naruto gets his ramen. As usual, comments, suggestions, reviews are welcome. For the reviews thank you thank you thank you! THANK YOU! Ja!


	6. Tea Country's Rare Dumplings 3

THE JOYS OF TEAM 7

CHAPTER FIVE: TEA COUNTRY'S RARE DUMPLINGS PART III

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, it's been a very long journey to the tea country and sadly (but don't cry); this will be the last chapter for the Tea Country's rare dumplings. I'm holding a voting season for now…about which are the best songs in the Naruto Anime. I've been in a bloodbath with my friend for weeks and so to preserve our friendship – we'll leave the decisions to you.

Here are the list of the songs we argued and their descriptions:

**Rocks (1st Opening Song)** – reminds me of a boxing game…

**Haruka Kanata (2nd Opening Song)** – the one with the catchy tune…hehehe…

**Go! (4th Opening Song)** – the one with Itachi…isn't he handsome…

**Wind (1st Ending Song)** – Love the Butterfly! Wait…the song's English right?

**Harmonia (2nd Ending Song)** – Aahh…the dancing Ino and Sakura in the background…

**Ryuusei (4th Ending Song) **– Four girls with the bikini… what more could you ask for?

Just send me three votes of your favorite songs (Any of the above) and I'll give you something special in return. Who knows? At least my friend and I would stop fighting due to your votes…hehehe…I'm a pacifist in case you didn't know. Thank you for supporting my fic, I wouldn't be here in front of my computer typing my ideas because of you guys.

* * *

**Chaos** spread throughout the farther district of Tea Country. People in all shapes and sizes had undergo a mêlée to find out who would be the luckiest survivor to go home with a box of the **Legendary Raspberry – filled Dumplings**. And of course, our favorite **Team 7** was inevitably drawn towards the center of the brawl and the only way to get out of there alive was to grab a box of dumplings and ran like mad as if in a stampede.

Naruto tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his raven – haired teammate to arrive. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Sasuke trudging towards his direction and to his surprise, with Sakura in tow.

"Teme! Where the hell have you been? We're in the middle of a crisis here!" Naruto yelled out in frustration as he saw Sasuke finally stopped in front of him and Sakura halting a few steps away from him. She kept her hands pressed around her neck and the Kyuubi brat began to worry.

Naruto then rushed to his two teammates and started verbalizing his complaints, all the while flailing his arms to release his pent up impatience. Sasuke shot him a menacing look while Sakura hid behind him, her cheeks flushed as she deftly covered her neck with the collar of her cheongsam.

"No need to discuss all your troubles to me, dobe. Let's just get those damn dumplings and take the fastest ship back to Konoha," Sasuke snapped. Naruto fumed. He pointed a reproachful finger at Sasuke, his blue eyes filled with misgiving.

"Well I know! You're just cavorting around with Sakura – chan! I saw her disappear under that curtain, then you went after her!" Sakura squeaked and Sasuke's eyes widened at their blond teammate's disjointed words.

"Nani? You've known all along that she was here?" Sasuke's eyes turned red and three black commas swirled around his pupils. Naruto backed away a few inches from him. He held up a halting hand. "Before you slug me to death, Sasuke – teme, you might want to pique your interest in getting the dumplings. Honestly, there are only five boxes left and if we don't grab one right now…"

Sasuke growled like an angry werewolf. "Then why didn't you say so earlier!" He shoved his blond teammate and rushed towards the angry mob. The buyers so to speak, were already tearing at each other's throats and working hard in taking hold of some dumplings. Sakura let out a squeal as Sasuke almost got flattened into a pancake when he bumped into the same fat lady that Naruto was clawing earlier for the dumpling. Naruto already snuck underneath the rabble in attempt to seize a box from above.

"Minna! Ganbatte!" Sakura cheered as she watched them dodge, pounce and kick some aggressive buyers as they stretched out their fingers towards the prize. She let out a sound of frustration when she saw Sasuke almost got the fourth box of dumplings within his reach, if it weren't for the fat lady blocking him in the way.

On the other hand, Idate waited until the last dumpling has been sold and the buyers including the unlucky ones, went home empty – handed. Naruto and Sasuke slouched on the ground, forcing a huge amount of oxygen into their lungs. He watched Sakura rushed to Sasuke's side, only to be pushed away by a jealous Anzu. Tomo on the other hand, patched up Naruto's cut – up hand with bandages.

"ITAI! Watch it!" Naruto bellowed when Tomo accidentally wrapped the bandage around his hand a bit too tightly. He whimpered and blew soft wisps of air onto his hand while Tomo gave a small smile. She then sweat dropped when she saw Sakura and Anzu arguing on who would bandage Sasuke first. Sakura was already holding the bandages with her hands while Anzu was grasping the ointment and the other end of the bandage in a tight grip.

"What are you doing, Anzu – san! Let me treat Sasuke – kun's wound. It might get infected," Sakura reasoned out as she gave a soft tug on the bandages. Anzu shrieked and yanked it back.

She retorted. "No fair! He's my destined lover and I'll be the one to save him!"

Inner Sakura roared. _'Hell yeah! Want me to punch you to oblivion, bitch?'_

Fury glinted between the two girls' eyes while Sasuke began fanning himself. 'Whew…is it getting hot in here or what…'

Idate raised a truce. "Alright, that's enough. What matters most is that we need to take hold of the dumplings at all cost." He turned to the now empty stall and made a face. "Looks like we'll have to **force** the owner to make us another batch of dumplings."

Naruto shrieked in horror. "**N – NANNIIII!** That could take the rest of the whole damn afternoon! And **helloooo**, it's an hour before sundown! Are you guys forgetting that this is **only** the second mission? Who knows if we'll waste the other days just to get this stupid dumpling!"

"That's why we're **forcing** the owner to make the dumplings for us, **useratonkachi**. Didn't you listen to every word Idate said?" Sasuke commented dryly as he poked the inside of his ear idly with his finger. He threw a look of covetousness at Sakura who, after seeing his gaze, blushed and focused her attention in bandaging his arm. Anzu seethed angrily at Sakura's unconscious triumph over Sasuke's attention. Tomo just rolled her eyes at her friend's impulsive behavior.

The blond ninja began to flap his arms in circles. "You pompous lout! You enjoy tormenting me don't you, Sasuke – bastard!"

Sasuke gave a dry laugh. "I just don't enjoy dobe. I **relish** it."

"That's it! You're dead meat!" Naruto raged as he charged towards his raven – haired teammate. Sakura, nonetheless, hurled herself between the two men. Naruto skidded a few steps before tripping on his own two feet and crashed his face inches near Sasuke's foot.

"ITAI! Oww…oww…Sakura – chan! Why did you stop me? I want to have my revenge on him!" he whined as he rubbed his aching nose.

Sakura glared at him as she placed her hands on either side of her hips. "Not another word, Naruto! I already told you that fighting will get you nowhere!"

"But Sakura – chan…"

"I said NO!"

Sasuke smirked as he saw Naruto threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine then!" He then glanced at Sakura and raised his brow up in question. "What?"

"Sasuke – kun, you too. It's not right to pick on Naruto, he's such a baby that you should not want to mess with," Sakura stated lightly, with a hint of scolding in her voice. Sasuke only gave her a small smirk.

"If you don't want me to start a fight with Naruto, then whom am I supposed to pick on now? You?" he replied as a – matter – of – fact. Sakura squeaked a little at his answer.

"Sasuke – kun! I'm a girl in case you never noticed!" she retorted angrily, heat suffusing her entire cheeks.

Sasuke shrugged. His smirk exuded a trace of teasing towards his pink – haired teammate. "Well, now that you've mentioned it, I haven't tried picking on a girl. And since you want me to stop teasing Naruto, I wouldn't mind to start teasing you," he replied smugly. Sakura squeaked again in response, and then blushed when she caught him staring at her.

The Uchiha heir continued looking at her when he suddenly felt Naruto's presence drawing near. He averted his gaze from Sakura and faced his enraged blond teammate. "What now?"

Steam rushed out of Naruto's ears but to Sasuke's surprise, he mellowed down and took a few breaths. He then grinned slyly at Sasuke. "I'll let you win on this one, teme. But I know something that you don't!"

"And what's that dobe?"

Naruto stuck a tongue out at him. "Hah! And you think I will tell you?" He skidded a few steps away from Sasuke and slapped his own behind to mock him. "In your dreams, kiss my butt!"

It took a large amount of restraint and willpower for Sasuke not to strangle Naruto to pieces. He heard a loud cough and he whirled his head and sweat dropped. Idate and the two girls were watching them!

Sakura gave a sheepish smile. "Well, I guess we should ask the owner nicely, right? I mean, we could at least grab one right?"

Idate gave a reassuring grin. "Of course. Tamazaburo – ojisan is the best dumpling maker here in Tea Country." He saw the wide – eyed looks of the people surrounding him. "What?"

"You knew the owner? Kuso, then why didn't you say so? We've got our **Asses** kicked for nothing! We ran and charged like mad dogs just to get a box of dumplings, and you didn't even say a single thing that you knew the owner!" Naruto ranted.

The younger Morino brother held up his hands. "Hey, you should've asked."

"NANI!"

Sakura wedged in between them. "Boys! I'm not going to repeat what I've said before again!"

Naruto and Idate separated from each other with 'hmph's. Sasuke gave a nonchalant shrug. Hoo – boy. Time was running out and they were still in Tea Country fighting over some dumplings. What will his older brother think? Sasuke, you're still a foolish little brother. Weak. Aa, that's what he'll think.

Tomo waved her hands to get their attention. "Hey guys! Yoo hoo! I think I see Tamazaburo – ojisan putting down the signboards! We'd better hurry!"

The others nodded their heads in agreement and together; they sprinted towards the rickety old stall in a flurry of dust.

* * *

"What? You want me to make a raspberry dumpling for all of you?"

"Hai. Please, Tamazaburo – ojisan. We really need it. They really need it," Idate pleaded to the old man of about late fifties, sitting in front of them. He knelt down, his forehead touching the floor. "We beg you!"

Tamazaburo smoked quietly and slowly inhaled the filtered smoke from his worn out pipe. He glanced at the people that Idate mentioned and was now sitting behind his back. He instantly recognized Tomo and Anzu and he even let out a chuckle when he saw Anzu huddling close to a particular raven – haired boy with a somewhat bored expression. Beside him was a pastel pink – haired girl whose eyes jade – like orbs watching the two in an almost hostile manner. In front of them was Tomo who was shaking her head in annoyance and next to her was a bubbly blond lad with what's that? Whiskers? On his face?

'Must be their pet,' Tamazaburo thought. 'Or maybe my eyes are now getting blurry…'

"Anyway, since I've known Jirocho – Oyabun for a long time, I will grant you your wish Idate. However, there is something that I must know," he said. The youngsters crept nearer to him. He coughed.

"Why would you want those dumplings?"

Naruto raised a hand like a grade school student waiting to be called by the teacher. "Oh I do! I do!"

'Damn, the cat talked?' Tamazaburo thought. Now his eyes are really blurry. Instead, he coughed and motioned for him to speak. "Alright, speak."

"Anou saa… Anou saa… the reason why, is that we're here to grab a taste of your super duper uberlicious dumplings! We wanted to have a bite of those that's why we're here!" Naruto babbled as some sort of an explanation. Sakura bonked him in the head while Sasuke muttered words like "annoying" and "dead last".

"Baka! You made it too complicated! You don't need to lie to Tamazaburo – jisan!" Sakura said angrily as she huffed back in her seat. Sasuke sighed as he faced Tamazaburo.

"The truth is, we're from Konoha. We're here because of a mission and that is to take home some of your famous dumplings." Sasuke eyed the pouting Naruto then added, "And we need to return to our village before sundown and continue the rest of our mission."

Naruto made a wry face. "Straight forward as always aren't we, Sasuke – teme?"

Sasuke glared at him. "It's better to be straight than stalling."

"Are you picking a fight, Sasuke – bastard? I'll take you on!"

Sakura instantly went in the middle of her two comrades. "Boys! Enough!"

"He started it!" Both boys exclaimed. The others sweatdropped while Tamazaburo only stared at them. Sakura made a worried face then face the old dumpling maker.

She bowed in a pleading manner. "Gomenasai, Tamazaburo – ojisan. We're under a mission made by our sensei because he sees that our team's unity is crumbling. Which is why, we're risking our life and limb to accomplish our missions. And also, to prove to our sensei that we're still together as a team."

Naruto blinked back tears and wiped them away. "Sniff…Sniff…that was so heartwarming, Sakura – chan!"

Sasuke gave a snort. "Coming from a dobe, that's ludicrous."

Tamazaburo – ojisan stared at the petal – haired girl, obviously weighing her words. Well, he was mighty flattered that they wanted his most famous dumplings for but he didn't expected it to be used for their mission. He really wanted to give in to them but he was a seller first. Giving dumplings for free will be a catastrophe in his business.

"Hmm…I don't know little missy, but you've already proved your point. However," his eyes gleamed. "I will do as you say. But, as you can see, I'm a well – famed businessman. I don't give my dumplings as freebies."

Sakura looked up to him. "What do you mean by that?"

Tamazaburo sat back in his seat and gave a smile. "You're going to fight for it."

"NANI!"

Idate implored to Tamazaburo. "Ojisan, we don't have time for that! It's almost sundown and they need to return to Konoha fast. We don't have time for those stupid games!"

Tamazaburo crossed his arms over his chest. "Idate. You know how famous my dumplings are. And besides, Jirocho – Oyabun asked me a favor about you."

"About me?"

"Yep," the dumpling maker answered as he place a hand under his chin in thought. "He told me to find you a significant other to help you in the troubles of life. Before he dies, he wants to see little Idates running around his manor. And this girl," he pointed to the still shocked Sakura, "is the ideal wife for you!"

"NANI!"

Naruto stood forward. "Absolutely not! Dame! Yada! Are you saying that in exchange for the dumplings, we'll give you Sakura – chan?" He turned to Sasuke. "Damn it, say something, Sasuke – teme!"

"I…" Sasuke's mind went blank. Here they are, almost to the goal then this aged dumpling geezer wanted Sakura to be Idate's wife. His fist clenched. Just what do this old guy want now? Scratch that. He wants Sakura for Idate. Period.

Sakura turned to him, her green eyes uncertain. "Sasuke – kun…"

Naruto glared on the other hand, obviously pissed at his silence. "Teme, come on! You're the leader! Say something! Say you don't agree to his terms and we'll get the dumplings in our own way! Say it now!"

"I know!" Sasuke growled under his breath. Kuso, if he doesn't decide now, it will be over for good. But, staring at Sakura with her eyes pleading, he suddenly was at a loss for words. But, he snorted. He used too many 'buts'. If he gives in to Tamazaburo's terms, Sakura will be given to Idate as some sort of payment and he and Naruto will come back to Konoha without her.

He dreaded seeing himself going straight to Kakashi and say, "_Hey, Kakashi. Sakura's not here with us because we've just given her to Idate in exchange for your damn dumplings_." He began to grow uncomfortable from the stares he is receiving from the people around him. He sighed. Time to choose the lesser evil.

God, they'll hate him for this. "Alright, old man. We accept your terms."

Naruto bolted upright and grabbed him by the collar and shook him violently. "You damn **conceited**,** pompous**,** arrogant**,** cold**,** egotistical bastard**! How could you? You're intending to leave Sakura – chan to these idiots? I thought you understand what Kakashi – sensei meant working as a team!"

Sasuke's dark orbs narrowed and curled his hands around Naruto's trembling hands and tightened his hold on him. The blond ninja winced. "I know what I'm doing dobe. If you want to get out of here, you should learn how to compromise."

"Teme!"

Still shocked at her raven – haired comrade's decision, Sakura stepped forward. She ignored the slight twinge of pain in her heart at the realization that Sasuke was giving her to another without her consent. "S – Sasuke – kun is right, Naruto. Whatever happens, we'll still be together as a team. E – even if I'm no longer with you guys anymore."

Naruto glared at her. "Well I'm not agreeing to his terms! We're still going to do this mission ourselves! We'll find another way!"

Tears appeared from the corner of her eyes but she wiped them away. Smiling at Naruto, she reasoned. "It's okay, Naruto. I'm sure Idate – san will take very good care of me. Right, Idate – san?" She turned to Idate who blushed in return.

Naruto slumped back. "But Sakura – chan…"

Tamazaburo clapped his hands. "Now that's settled, let's get you kids married then I'll give the guys your dumplings." He pulled Idate by the wrist and Sakura on the other. "Can't wait to tell the Oyabun of the wonderful news!"

Idate staggered forward as they were being dragged. Sakura also stumbled, but before she could make out a few steps, a hand latched itself upon her arm and she was pulled back. And bumped into something warm and solid.

Tamazaburo blinked then whirled to see none other than Uchiha Sasuke holding Sakura by the arm. His eyebrow twitched at the confusion. It was a surprise that Sasuke smirked. Even Tomo and Anzu who was watching the scene like in a soap opera stared at his sudden action. Sakura inhaled the familiar scent that belonged to him and heat crept up her cheeks.

Now something was terribly wrong.

"Hold it right there, geezer. I only said that we agree on your terms. But I didn't agree on you snatching Sakura away from us," Sasuke hissed, his hold on Sakura's arm tightens. Tamazaburo gave him a smile. "What do you have in mind, young man? You're interrupting a wedding."

"Wedding? There's no wedding. Unless you also play by our rules, then we can discuss this," Sasuke remarked dryly. Naruto instantly went to his side and whistled. So the teme also disagreed eh? Why didn't he stop the geezer in the first place anyway? Suddenly, the worn out light bulb lit up in Naruto's head. So that's it. Sasuke – teme had a plan.

Tamazaburo grinned. He was beginning to admire Sasuke's guts. "You're getting me worked up here kid. What do you have in mind?"

Sasuke used his free arm that wasn't holding Sakura and pointed a finger at him. "Since you're a businessman and used to bargaining, I'll make you a deal. We'll have a competition. You decide on what type of game Idate and I will contend and from there we'll decide who'll be the victor." Tamazaburo's eyes widened a bit but he soon recovered and grinned again. "Sounds good, young man. What are the prizes at stake?"

The Uchiha brat's smile was grim. "If we win, you'll give us the dumplings for free. If not, then Sakura's yours for the taking." His black eyes turned ominously darker. "But I'm giving you a warning, pal. We're not that stupid to hand her over easily to you."

He smirked triumphantly as Tamazaburo finally agreed to the deal. '_I could've killed all of you if **I** was that stupid enough to let you take her away from me,_' He thought dourly.

"Sasuke – kun…" Sakura whispered.

Naruto gave a loud whoop. "You're always waiting for the right entrance, aren't you teme?"

Idate nodded vigorously. It'll be his chance to show off to Sakura that he's the suitable man for her. "Alright! I agree to Sasuke's notion!"

Anzu and Tomo gave a cheer. "We'll prepare for the competition right away! Just leave it to us!"

* * *

Well…he didn't expect that the competition would have so many spectators.

Standing next to a tree, Sasuke glared at the people viewing them as he awaited the GO signal from the Tea Country's daimyo. Near Tamazaburo's shop, his gaze darted to Naruto who was stretching his calves and shaking his toes. The loudmouth ninja gave him a "thumbs – up!" sign while Sakura hovered around him, checking to see if he had any wounds or abnormalities before the start of the game.

The competition that Tamazaburo decided was no doubt another version of the Todoroki Shrine race. With the dumplings and Sakura's hand in marriage. Sasuke shook his head in annoyance, knowing that his idea attracted lots of people; he could even see Anzu and Tomo selling refreshments to hungry and thirsty spectators. He strolled towards Naruto and Sakura, stopping next to his pink – haired comrade. Naruto was still busy in adjusting his sandals so Sasuke had no difficulty in sneaking up behind her. He had some major things to clear up with her anyway.

"Sakura," he began. "How's the dobe?"

"Naruto's fine. He's in shape for the competition," she answered. He sauntered towards her and hooked an arm loosely around her waist. She gave him an inquiring look then yelped when he parted the collar of her cheongsam and exposed the skin underneath.

"Hmm…it's still red," he mused.

She blushed at his inquiry. "Of course it will! Why else would it be any more redder if you didn't bite me with your teeth!"

He gave her a playful swat on her cute behind with his free hand. She squealed and squirmed at the acute pain and Sasuke whispered lightly to her ear. "Don't move too much or you'll attract lots of people." He somehow pulled her along with him to the back of Tamazaburo's stall and inspected his bite on her skin. Sakura cheeks were already in flames as she fluttered her eyelashes lividly at him.

"Sasuke – kun, we don't have time for this!" she hissed then gasped when she felt him lower his head upon her neck. His free arm joined his other arm in wrapping around her tiny waist and squeezed her lightly. Somehow, she managed to calm down after a few heart-stopping moments then rested her cheek on his shoulder.

He finally spoke up. "Are you still mad at me?"

She was suddenly taken aback by his question. "What?"

He repeated his question and she shook her head. He looked up at her and she framed his face between her palms. "Although I'm still confused by the decision that you made earlier and now your sudden display of affection, Sasuke – kun, I understand that you're doing all of this just to prove something out."

He gave her a small smirk as he released her. "You're quite a mind reader, Sakura – chan. However, that was only 3/8 of what was running through my mind right now." He ran his fingers through his jet-black hair idly and caught her worried look. He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. "It's not like I'm instantly going to hand you over to Idate right then and there."

Sakura blushed again as Sasuke let go of her hand. "Let's go," was all he said as he turned his back on her and walked away, heading to Naruto's direction. Sakura managed to fix herself in a matter of seconds before dashing after her blue clad teammate and watch the race.

…………

"Ehem, Ladies and Gentlemen! We're going to have a race in honor of Idate's upcoming wedding!" The announcer boomed, his voice loud and clear. The audience clapped their hands as they cheered for their favorite runner who was Jirocho – Oyabun's favorite. Sasuke gave a snort as Idate waved to the crowd. His dark eyes almost swirled into bloody red when he caught Idate winking at Sakura who squeaked in embarrassment. He clenched his fist. '_The dobe should win on this one or I'll skin him alive_,' he ruefully thought.

Naruto was already hot and ready. His thoughts began to drift at the time when he was unwillingly chosen to take part on the race. Hell, this was all Sasuke – bastard's idea! He should be the one running for Sakura – chan instead of him!

…………

"NANI? You want me to run against Idate?"

Sasuke nodded while Sakura – chan blinked in bewilderment. Naruto stood up from where he sat and faced his tight – lipped teammate head on. "You really like ordering me around don't you, teme? And why don't you run this race yourself since it's your idea!"

"It was the geezer's idea, moron. And stop cussing me. You also want to help Sakura, right? Or you'll just let her get taken away by Idate on his nice white horse while we sang goodbye songs and wishing them luck."

Naruto eyed him dangerously. "Eeww…nice imagery you got there, Sasuke – teme. Of course I'm not going to let him take Sakura – chan away from us! We're going to finish Kakashi – sensei's mission as a team, and we're not going to let anything happen to her!" He cracked his knuckles to prove his point. "I'm going to compete for Sakura – chan's freedom!"

Sasuke gave a yawn at his words. "Very nice speech and all, dobe. We're counting on your feet and not your smart ass mouth." He stared at Sakura and gave a tentative glance. "You're okay with this right, Sakura?"

Sakura threw a worried glance at Naruto before looking back in Sasuke's onyx eyes. "I," she began, seeing her teammates' gazes fixed upon her. She gave a resounding sigh as she could see there was no point in arguing, so she just threw up her hands in defeat. "Good luck, Naruto. Like Sasuke – kun said, we're counting on you. I'm counting on you."

Naruto blinked fake tears from his eyes. "Aww…Sakura – chan, you're so sweet!" He flung his arms open and dashed towards her. "Let me give you a hug!"

SMACK!

…………

"Sheesshhh…he didn't have to hit me so hard! That Sasuke – teme, sometimes his jealousy streak is so lethal, you could easily lose your life," Naruto said to himself as he rubbed his left purpling cheek. He took his position as the announcer declared that all players must get into position. He set himself into a deep lunging position, his left foot stretched on the back and his palms touching the ground on either side of him. Out in the corner of his eye, he saw Idate doing the same thing.

'Gosh, looks like Idate is really serious about this, I mean, he really likes Sakura – chan that much…' he observed Idate's very serious expression. He turned to glance at Sakura not far from them and winced as he saw her worried look. Sasuke was standing next to her and he was only giving him a smug expression. Naruto gritted his teeth as the announcer started the countdown.

…………

**Five!**

_Naruto focused his eyes on the entrance. "Sasuke – teme, I'll make sure you're going to run this race instead of me…"_

**Four!**

_He smiled. "It would be bad if I'm going to hog all the glory and set you in the background right?"_

**Three!**

His smile went wide. "Consider this as getting even…" 

**Two!**

His smile went wider. "And that's not all…" 

**One!**

_His smile went a thousand times wider and wider. **"Because Sakura – chan and my ramen are at stake!"**_

**GO!**

And Naruto was prancing madly like a fox as the race was officially started.

…………

Sakura clasped her hands together in a prayer as she watched two of her closest friends competing each other for her and a lousy box of dumplings. She cast a fretful look towards Sasuke and her green eyes went with rage, as she saw none other than Anzu clinging dangerously close to him. A stress mark began to appear and twitching heavily above her forehead.

"Nee…Sasuke – kun, want to go out and have tea with me?" Anzu drawled as she latched herself on his arm. Sasuke gave her an uninterested look.

"No thanks."

Anzu squeezed his arm tightly. "Oh come on, a little tea won't hurt anybody…"

"It won't really hurt anybody including you if you stop clinging on to Sasuke – kun like that, Anzu."

Anzu whipped her head around and faced Sakura's glare while Sasuke let out a sigh. He pried himself quietly from Anzu's grip then gave the girl a lopsided grin. "I appreciate your feelings, Anzu, but I'm not the right man for you. He walked towards Sakura and much to her surprise and discomfiture, pushed aside her collar to reveal his mark. "See? I made this mark right here. I'm already involved with someone else."

Anzu bawled out loud and rushed to Tomo who was still busy selling dumplings. Sasuke sighed then pulled Sakura's collar to cover the reddening bruise and settled himself next to her. They didn't talk for another few minutes until Sakura cleared her throat.

"You were really going to tell her all along?"

He turned to her. "I never really wanted to, but she was so persistent. It's annoying."

She huffed. "You also thought of me as annoying!"

"Yeah, but I didn't marked her as I did you," he simply answered as she squeaked. Sakura cast an infuriated look before focusing her attention back at the race. _Sasuke – kun is really becoming weird, I wonder what could've happened that made him change like this…I'm beginning to grow fond of it…

* * *

_

In the forest, it was a head to head battle between Tea Country's fastest runner and Konoha's number one hyperactive ninja. Dust covered their tracks as they tried to outrun each other, pushing, kicking and biting just to take advantage of being ahead of the race. Idate panted hard as he realized how fast Naruto had become, despite his training day and night. No, Sakura – san was important to him, he will do everything in his power to get her. No matter what.

Naruto wheezed as he rounded another corner and sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him. Damn, Idate was still relentless! He still wants to win this race so he could marry Sakura – chan! I better hurry fast and finish this race, Sasuke – bastard will have my head if I lose! He was almost close to the next checkpoint when he didn't notice a puddle of mud on his way. And the next few minutes, he tumbled down and landed with his face first on the puddle.

SPLAT!

And Naruto's piercing cry echoed throughout the woods.

* * *

"A sprained ankle. Hmm…it looks bad too," the doctor announced as he examined Naruto's ankle. He twisted it ever so slowly and Naruto instantly howled in pain. Sakura's face was contorted with pain and helplessness at the sight of Naruto cringing because of a sprain. She went to see Sasuke who was lounging unaffectedly outside the examination room.

"Sasuke – kun, what do we do? If Naruto does not participate and finish the race, Idate – san will win by default! I don't want us to lose like this," Sakura reasoned out. Sasuke stared at her, then he sighed and went inside the examination room. He gave a light glare at their loudmouth teammate.

"Dobe, you outdone yourself this time. You were almost fifty feet within the goal when you decided to have a mud bath," he commented coolly. Naruto glared back at him.

"It wasn't…Ow…my ankle…ow…my fault! There was really a mud puddle! You have to believe me!" Naruto protested. Sasuke groaned as he raked his fingers through his unkempt hair. Sakura was still watching them, unsure when will her two teammates start lashing each other. Fortunately, none made an attempt to take the initiative.

The doctor finished bandaging Naruto's ankle and faced Sasuke. "Your blond friend will have to take it easy now. A sprained ankle can become severe if left untended." He picked up his medical kit and stood up. "I'll check up on him later."

As the doctor left, Naruto grinned slyly at Sasuke. "Hey, teme, since the race is not yet officially over, why don't you take my place and run?" He made a disgruntled squeak when Sasuke glared at him. "And besides, this is for Sakura – chan! You can't allow Idate to snatch her away from us while we sang goodbye songs and wish them luck!"

"That's my…" Sasuke blurted out then chose to keep quiet. That stupid Naruto, he began putting the words in his mouth. Now he'll have to do the running that he himself made a deal of. _'Chill,Sasuke. It's not like you'll go for a swim in the lake filled with sharks.' _he thought as he watched Naruto whimper pathetically in pain.

"How can I see my Hinata – chan if I'm like this? This is all your fault, teme!" Naruto accused him, finger pointed at him. Sasuke knew what he was trying to imply, so he just gave a defeated sigh. "Okay I'll do it." Naruto gave one of his whoops. "Yay! He's gonna compete!"

"Good timing. I really wanted to have a chance to compete with **you**."

Team 7 turned their heads around to find Idate leaning against the doorframe, a roguish smile pasted on his lips. Sakura went to Naruto's side as she checked over the bandages while Sasuke gave him a nonsensical look.

"What's it to me?" he replied dryly. Idate didn't chose to respond as he lumbered forward and much to Naruto and Sasuke's horror, snatched Sakura's hand and kissed it. Idate caught Sasuke's murderous glare as he released her hand then left the room. Before he closed the door, he faced Sasuke once again. "The rule still stands. You can use whatever damn thing you want in order to win. It's anything goes."

When Idate left, Sasuke let out a confident smirk. "Anything goes, huh?"

* * *

Now that the contenders were replaced, _what I meant was Naruto_, Sasuke and Idate continued the race, starting from the last checkpoint. Naruto remained in the clinic and Sakura was once again become witness to the possible results of the said competition.

The announcer's voice boomed again. "Here we are again folks! There will be a substitution for Idate – sama's contender! We'll start here in the final checkpoint! The rule is still the same! Anything goes! **On your mark, get set…**"

"I'll make you eat dust, Uchiha," Idate warned as he got himself into position.

Sasuke only yawned. "Uh yeah…whatever."

**GO!**

And once again, dust covered the trail as the two contenders began to struggle in winning the ultimate prize…

* * *

"Yahoo! We won, we won!" Naruto jeered as he held the intricately – covered box of Tea Country's famed dumplings in his hands. Sasuke covered his ears from his whines as he watched the fireworks from the Degarashi Port sparkled noisily in different colors. They were all set for tomorrow in leaving the Country of Tea and he was very grateful that he will finally return to Konoha and continue Kakashi's stupid mission.

"I can't believe we won, teme! I lost all faith in you, but wow, we made it!" the Kyuubi brat ranted as he hugged the dumplings in a tight hold. Sasuke shrugged. Naruto stared at him with awe. "I wonder, how did you managed to beat Idate with that scrawny form of yours?"

"Dunno." was all he said. He really didn't use any effort at all to win. Nor did he undergo blood, sweat and tears just to go head on with Idate and finish the race. He smirked at the plan he formulated earlier to beat Idate. In order to win, he secretly activated his Sharingan and copied Idate's movements. Combine that with Rock Lee's untimely speed, which he utilized in the third Chuunin Exam, he was the one who charged into the finish line in less than fifteen minutes and let Idate eat his dust.

Oh yeah, when he was announced as the victor, many were surprised to see his dark eyes turn crimson red, three black commas spinning around his pupil. Many didn't believe that the Sharingan still existed, and of course he was the only heir anyway. Idate questioned his winning at the race, but he casually explained in the first place that the number one rule in the race was ANYTHING GOES. Which means, Kakashi's rule is temporarily unavailable at that time, and Sasuke can use any methods – even his bloodline limit to win.

Naruto slurped his instant ramen. "Too bad I didn't saw Idate moping like a kid when you won! And it seems like Anzu and Tomo began organizing a fan club especially for you, teme!"

"They should just leave me alone," Sasuke grumbled. That Anzu girl, she doesn't even understand what he had said earlier.

"Aahh…I missed my Hinata – chan…I wonder what she is doing now," Naruto stopped hooting then turned his head sideways, searching for something. "By the way, where's Sakura – chan?"

"Probably getting ready for bed. We're leaving in the morning anyway," Sasuke replied nonchalantly. He stood up from where he sat and dusted away the dirt from his pants. Naruto watched him. "Where ya going, teme?"

"Sleep," was all he said as he left Naruto sitting alone and enjoying the fireworks. "Don't stay up late or I'll kill you if I find out you wake up late again!"

Naruto stuck his tongue out at him.

…………

Sasuke entered his room and slid the door shut with a firm click. He shrugged out of his oversized blue shirt and threw it on top of the chair. He was getting ready for bed when he heard the door from the adjacent room open and the shuffling of steps caught his attention. He cocked an eyebrow as he saw Sakura clad in a soft pink yukata patterned with red roses. She was clutching onto some blue fabric then blushed when she handed it over to him.

"Here, I'm returning your shirt. Thank you for letting me use it at that time," she whispered wistfully as she shoved the shirt in his arms. Mindful that Sasuke was naked from the waist up, she scurried back into the safety of her room when a hand shot up and trapped her delicate wrist. She looked back meekly at him when she felt his free arm snaked its way around her waist.

"You didn't wear your obi," he commented dryly as he pulled her closer to him, her back hitting his chest. She blushed at his discovery.

"You told me to wear a yukata as my other half of punishment for leaving without your consent. I didn't tie my obi because I misplaced it somewhere," she answered hurriedly, her breath hitched when his hand flattened on top of her stomach. She steadied herself as she listened to the strong thump of his heartbeat on her back and leaned more against him.

"Sleep with me."

Her emerald eyes went wide. "Sasuke – kun?"

"Sleep with me," he requested again, pulling her close to him and tugging her towards his bed. "It's pretty cold if you sleep alone, but when you share your bed with another it becomes warmer," he enlightened her as he placed her in his bed. She sat up and he joined her, pulling the covers up to their laps. She crept closer to him and he wrapped an arm around her. He pushed a part of her yukata to reveal her pale skin and the mark he had made earlier.

"It will heal…in a couple of days," she whispered breathlessly. He pressed his face between her neck and shoulder then his tongue darted out to taste her skin. She whimpered at the slight wetness, only to feel his arms giving her warmth passing through the thin silk that she wore. Her hands went up to his hair, fingers delicately brushing the darks strands. He cupped her chin with his hand and angled her face towards him. He leaned down to capture her pink pouting mouth with his…

"OI, TEME! I COULDN"T FIND SAKURA – CHAN IN HER ROOM! IS SHE IN YOUR ROOM?"

Sasuke muttered curses under his breath when he heard Naruto yelling about Sakura's disappearance. He could feel Sakura giggling quietly next to him, adding annoyance and contempt on his part. He stood up from his bed then trudged towards his door. He yanked iit slightly then looked at his crazed blond teammate. "She's not here," he said flatly then slammed it in front of Naruto's face.

Sasuke climbed back to bed, smirking inwardly as he heard Naruto's whines echoing throughout the room. He pulled Sakura to lie with him in bed. She squirmed against him and he groaned. "Wait…what did Naruto said?"

"He found out you weren't in your room. But enough of him," he muttered tiredly as he nuzzled her still exposed neck. Sakura giggled helplessly as she felt him pull the covers up to her chin. She snuggled closer to him for warmth and she was rewarded with a kiss on her forehead. Before letting herself go to sleep, she needed to ask him a few teensy weensy questions.

"Sasuke – kun?"

"Aa."

She tucked her face beneath the blanket. "When you…agreed to Tamazaburo – jisan's terms, did you really meant what you said? Giving me to Idate, I mean."

He didn't answer. She hit him with the pillow. "Alright, ow…cut it out, the dobe might hear us." She pouted and crossed her arms above her chest. Sasuke rubbed his aching nose that was in contact with the pillow and began to ponder. "To tell you the truth, I was not surprised that the geezer asked for you to be Idate's wife. I decided to make a compromise so that I won't lose either you or the dumplings but to gain both of you at the same time. I never meant for you and the dobe to be mad at my decision."

Sakura didn't say anything. "But what if Idate won and you lost? What will you do?"

Sasuke chose not to answer, only dragging her back in his arms and immersing himself in her softness. Sakura wiggled against him. "Mou, Sasuke – kun, answer me!"

He looked at her then shrugged as he placed his hand on her backside, coaxing her to sleep. "If I lost and you're given to Idate, I would kill him first before he even puts his ring on your finger."

She laughed half – heartedly at his answer. "Really? Mou, Sasu, you really need to take up lessons in courting. Maybe you should ask Naruto for suggestions."

Sasuke closed his eyes and only muttered a tired "hmph".

* * *

**Author's note:** Wee…too long but it's enough to make up for being missing in action right? What can you say about the fluff? Thanks for all the support and suggestions! For the past reviews, arigatou! Pairings are coming up in the next chapters. Also, I'm giving something special in return. Ja!


	7. Heat, Summer and Bikini

Joys of Team 7

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hello again! School's finished! Now, here I am spending my first week of semestral break sitting in front of my computer and typing my brains out. Just want to remind you, this is only a **special**! I dunno why, but sad to say, this story is **not included** in the Scavenger Series. This is some sort of an **Omake **for Tea Country's Rare Dumplings if you'll ask me. The next chapter on the list is coming up next and because of the awesome reviews I've got; I decided to give you this as a token of my appreciation. Enjoy!

* * *

Scavenger Special: Heat, summer and Bikini

* * *

It was summer in Tea Country and boy, was it hot! The harsh rays of the sun burned the Degarashi Port with its fiery glow, and it was a truly another arid day for the tourists who went there for a vacation.

Even the sellers from their stalls were also losing their concentration in managing their businesses efficiently because of the heat. Not even the undisputed Kakashi – cell team also known throughout the Hidden Leaf as the remarkable Team 7 could also withstand the heat.

"Atsuuiiiiii……is Kakashi – sensei going to give us a break from this mission or what? The sun's killing me," Naruto groaned as he wiped drops of sweat that were dripping down madly like a fountain from his forehead. He threw annoyed looks at his two friends.

Sakura stomped her foot angrily as she blew a few tendrils of pink hair away from her face. "Boy, from the way that you're asking Naruto, Kakashi – sensei only cared for these stupid dumplings! Aargghhhh, if I only had it my way, we should be home soon!"

Sasuke eyed them coolly, it seems like the scorching temperature did not yet melt his icy demeanor. "Che, who cares? Even if we go back to Jirocho – Oyabun's place, this damn heat will still seep through the roof! I can't even train in a lousy place like this!"

Naruto crossed his arms, his nose now covered up with a thin sheen of sweat. "Bah! Who cares about training under this heat, Sasuke – teme! Did the sun fry your brains or what?"

"Unlike you teme, I'm still sane," Sasuke retorted.

"Want to fight Sasuke – bastard? Just tell me if you want to!" Naruto yelled.

Sakura stepped in between them. "Alright you two, that's enough! We've got a long day ahead of us and if you don't stop, the heat will dry you up too!" She placed her hands on either side of her hips. "And it's all because of you Naruto! Thanks to you, we're going to stay in this country for another 4 hours and a half because you lost all our money for the ship back home!"

Naruto feigned innocence. "Nani? It wasn't my fault! Blame Sasuke! He ordered me to keep the money while he went to the comfort room to take a pee!"

Sasuke bonked him on the head. "Why, thank you for a very unreasonable answer, useratonkachi. And where did the money go while I was in the bathroom?"

"I…I misplaced it…" Naruto admitted sheepishly.

"And exactly where did you misplaced it?" Sasuke asked, his eyebrow twitching.

Naruto's face went red and he flailed his arms angrily. "Alright I give in! I don't know! Happy now?"

"Very."

"Teme!"

Sakura gave a sigh and sat down on the ground. "Alright, that's enough Naruto. Anyway, it's really hot…if it weren't for our money's loss, we could continue sensei's mission. But…" she continued as she looked up hopefully at Sasuke, "there's a chance that we could earn the money that Naruto lost right, Sasuke - kun?"

Sasuke placed a hand under his chin then began to think. "Hmm, good suggestion. We could earn the money with the same amount that the dobe lost then we can go home. Problem is, do you have any suggestions?"

Naruto raised his hand eagerly. "I know! A ramen stall! We could sell tons of ramen! Just like the one the Ichiraku is making," he suggested. Sasuke and Sakura began to sweat drop after hearing his suggestion.

"Naruto, how are we going to cook ramen at a time like this? We're in the middle of the hottest season called **summer**, and now, you wanted to cook your favorite Ramen in this heat! Do you want to boil your brains or something? Sorry but that's a big **No!**" Sakura wailed.

Naruto kneeled in front of Sakura and hugged her legs in a pleading manner. "NOOOOO! Sakura – chan, have mercy on me! You know I can't live without eating even a strand of Ichiraku's most famous noodle! Please, let us sell ramen for once preeettty pleeasssse?"

Sakura twisted herself away from him. "Naruto, let go of me!"

"No! I'm not letting you go unless you tell me that we'll be selling ramen!" Naruto protested as he hugged her legs tighter.

"No!" Sakura screeched.

Sasuke pried Naruto forcefully away from Sakura's body and bonked him on the head. "Baka. Who would want to eat ramen on a hot day like this? And besides, do you even know how to cook ramen?"

Naruto waved his hands in the air like a child. "I know, I know! Just add water and wait for a few minutes for it to simmer then stir!"

Sasuke bonked him on the head again. "Useratonkachi! That's only for instant ramen! See, even we can't earn money like that. And it would waste us a lot of time!"

Naruto rubbed his head then glared at him. "Nani! Then what do you suggest we should cook, teme? Is it one of your rice balls with a chunk of tomato inside? Don't you ever get sick of them? They're filled with lots of calories that'll make you heavy!"

"At least they're nutritious, unlike someone who eats ramen that has nothing but empty calories inside," Sasuke retorted. "And in addition to that, it doesn't even give you any nutrients. It only provides you with more air in that chunk of space that you called brain."

"That's it! You're going to la – la land!" Naruto roared as he charged towards Sasuke. Sakura rubbed her temples as she started her countdown. Five… Four… Three… Two… One…

SMACK!

And Naruto flew a thousand miles away from where they were standing and into the place they called nowhere.

* * *

It was past ten in the morning and sadly, Team 7 hadn't found the perfect part – time job. The first one was a disaster. They were almost hired to a stall that sells **takoyaki** (octopus balls) when Naruto accidentally beat the owner to death after being mistaken as a cat. Of course, Sasuke and Sakura had taken a hard time in subduing the Kyuubi heir from going ballistic after being insulted by the owner and kicked out from the stall. They were miles away from the stall when Naruto finally calmed down.

"Baka! What do you think you're doing? We've almost snagged a job in that takoyaki stall, but no, you wanted to beat the crap out of that old geezer when he only mistook you for a cat!" Sakura ranted.

Sasuke shook his head wryly as he glared at their blond – haired teammate.

Naruto was never the one to back down. "But, Sakura – chan! No one has ever told me that I look like a stupid freaking alley cat! I'm too cute and too handsome to be treated the same as a furry animal!"

Sakura grabbed Naruto's collar, her fist just inches away from his face. "One more word Naruto, and I'll blast you high up on the heavens!"

Sasuke broke the two of them apart. "Oi, stop it. I thought there should be **no violence** in the team. Let's just look for another job. I'm sure that there is one out there that'll suit our interests."

Naruto crossed his arms. "And since when did you become concern with our team? That's new, Sasuke – teme!"

"After I realized you were a sick dobe," Sasuke answered languidly. Naruto was about to pounce on him again when Sakura bonked him herself on the head.

"Let's just go," she dismissed outwardly, and Sasuke nodded, whistling as he followed her to search for another stall. Naruto, on the other hand, lay crumpled on the ground and nursed his newly formed lump.

After searching for nearly as many as thirty-five stalls, they came across an ice cream shop with a signboard that read "Cool Cool Paradise!" For someone as composed and reserved like Uchiha Sasuke, it seemed like there was a relation between the shop's name and Kakashi's perverted book. He cringed as he stole a glance at Sakura. Naruto wasted no time and yelled, "HELLO!"

"Coming!"

The three braced themselves as they heard footsteps inside the shop. The pink frilled door of the ice cream door opened and a stocky middle aged – man appeared in front of them. He scrutinized them one by one. "Yes?"

Sasuke stepped forward, not wasting time for introductions. "We want a job."

The man's eyes went wide. "A job? Well, sorry to bust the lights out of you kiddo, but I'm not looking for any hired help right now. Try somewhere else."

Naruto pounced on the man, shaking him violently by his shoulders. "Bu – but, we really need it, ojisan! Just for a few hours, please! We'll do our best! Just don't deny this job to us!"

"Naruto!" Sakura said out loud in amazement.

The ice cream shop owner released himself from Naruto's grip and rubbed his chin in thought. He glanced at Sakura and his eyes lit up. "Alright, I'll give you all three a job if little missy here will be our promotional model."

"NANI!" Naruto exclaimed while Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. Sakura let out a weak smile at the owner. "Anou, what do you mean your promotional model?"

The owner went towards Sakura and slung an arm around her shoulders. Stress marks started to appear above Sasuke's forehead. "You see, little missy, my business is starting to regress lately, and I need new attractions to make this place booming again. But, judging by your friends' faces and also your looks, especially your hot bod and allure, I'm sure I'll be able to attract lots of surfer dudes and hot babes from all over the Tea Country."

The stress marks in Sasuke's forehead started to twitch.

"But I'm not that good in attracting people, ojisan," Sakura offered weakly. The owner drew her closer to him. "Nonsense," he said. "You'll make one fine model, let's say, if you are in a swimsuit. No, what about in a hot string bikini? You'll look ravishing if you're wearing it in pink."

The Sharingan user's stress marks began to throb.

Naruto eyed Sasuke for quite some time and he sweat dropped when he saw the Uchiha prodigy clenched his fists out of annoyance and what was that term? Ah, jealousy, for the owner that was harassing Sakura – chan. And even he, the number one hyperactive ninja had witnessed Sasuke's destructive side countless times, especially if the object of his regard was at stake. But on the other side, he also wanted to beat the crap out of the perverted geezer but it was also fun to see Sasuke kill the man in the most brutal manner possible.

"Umm…I don't think I'm fit to do your job," Sakura answered meekly when she felt the owner's gaze turned to lust. She was suddenly afraid for the owner right this very minute. The owner however, acted as if nothing was going to harm him and continued indulging her.

"You don't like pink? Okay, what about red to accentuate the greenness of your eyes? What about blue? No, wait, I think black is the suited one for you!" The owner drawled and without warning grabbed Sakura by her butt.

She squealed.

Sasuke's stress marks beat painfully, so loud that Naruto could almost hear it. And Naruto screamed out of horror and laughter as he saw his once stoic friend grabbed the owner by his neck and hoisted him up from the ground and dangled him in the air. Sasuke's eyes had turned on the Sharingan and he glared murderously at the owner.

"Sasuke – kun!" Sakura cried out.

Sasuke paid no heed. He focused his attention on the owner. "Bad move, old man. You should've learned long ago to keep your hands to yourself. And how dare you, touching her butt like that." His left hand conjured up blue sparkling chakra. It crackled and sizzled in his palm. "Any last words before you die?"

The owner turned pale. "I…uh…"

Sakura instantly clutched Sasuke's arm that was holding the Chidori. She clutched onto it tightly. "Sasuke – kun! Stop! It's okay; we'll just find another job. Please don't do this!"

Naruto gave a loud whoop. "Yeah! Go do it, Sasuke – teme! Show him who's the boss when it comes to Sakura – chan!" Sakura blushed then squeaked again as she tried to restrain Sasuke from killing the ice cream stall owner. "Sasuke – kun!"

Sasuke held his breath for a few minutes then relinquished his hold on the owner's neck. Turning to Sakura, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to his body. Naruto jumped over them and faced the owner lying weakly and beaten down to the floor. "See! See! That's what's going to happen to you if you don't listen to us and give us a job!"

The owner coughed in air inside his lungs. "I…I see what you mean," he croaked then turned to Sasuke who was still holding Sakura by her waist. He held up his hands in surrender. "Hey man, sorry about earlier. I thought it was okay for her since she was single and alone to do the job, but now, I didn't know she's with you…"

Sasuke looked at him fiercely. "Oh really…"

Sakura smacked him on the arm. "Sasuke – kun!"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Hey, about the job…"

The owner stood up and fixed himself. "Alright, alright, I'm going to give you guys a job. It's not much, but hey, it's the least I can do." He eyed Sakura with a keen expression. "But she will still continue being the promotional model though."

"Bastard," Sasuke hissed. Sakura put a rein to his temper. "I will do it for the sake that we could earn money, Sasuke – kun," she told him in a serious tone.

Naruto smiled happily. "So what do we do? What do we do?"

The owner smirked. "Well…"

* * *

"I don't believe this…" Naruto grumbled as he fanned the squid that he was grilling in a skillet. He made a face at the T – shirt with a Hawaiian design he was wearing. The shop's logo was also embedded in the front and it was really ridiculous looking. "Oh damn, and I'm wearing this stupid shirt for the sake of earning money!" Sasuke bonked him on the head, already fed up with his whining.

"Dobe. Why don't you shut up and do what you're supposed to do? There are five orders of grilled squid coming up and if you don't hurry up, the customers will get you," he muttered as he scooped a ball of vanilla ice cream and splattered it on top of the cone. He was also wearing the same scruffy looking shirt. He then handed the ice cream cone to a love struck female who was ogling him for quite some time. Naruto let out a smirk.

"Oohh…I see Sasuke – bastard, you only wanted to see Sakura – chan in a bikini, right?" Naruto teased Sasuke and his smirk went even wider when the Uchiha prodigy blushed. He scooped a very large ball of ice cream and stuffed it in Naruto's mouth. Sasuke didn't show any twinge of remorse as Naruto's face started to turn blue because of the cold.

Naruto managed to swallow the sweetened confectionary then faced his friend with a glare. "You should've given me the chocolate flavored ice cream, Sasuke – bastard! The vanilla always gives a heeby – jeeby aftertaste in my mouth!"

Annoyed, the raven – haired ninja smacked the ice cream scoop on Naruto's head, the remains of the vanilla sloshing its white stuff on his blond hair. "Baka. Get to work or I'll feed your hyperactive mouth with a gallon of vanilla."

"NNNOOOOO! What did you do to my hair!" Naruto wailed as he dashed to the bathroom to wash the incriminating melted ice cream out of his hair. Sasuke let out a satisfied grin as he turned his attention to another customer. His eyebrow twitched up when he saw none other than the people he met last time.

Anzu and her friend Tomo.

* * *

"Aiiiyaahhh! It's nice to see you here again, Sasuke –kun!" Anzu screeched as she launched herself at him. Tomo rolled her eyes as she raised a hand in greeting. Sasuke mentally told himself not to beat the annoying girl clutching his arm with the ice cream scoop. He pasted a forced smile at Anzu. "It's a pleasure seeing you two again."

"Anzu, mind your manners! Sasuke – kun is working, don't you see?" Tomo scolded her friend. She scanned the entire shop and glanced back to Sasuke. "Where is Naruto – kun and Sakura – san?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Dobe's in the bathroom. I haven't seen Sakura yet."

Anzu clutched his arm tighter hard. So hard that Sasuke winced. "Oh the bitch's not here? Yay! I can spend a nice quiet time alone with Sasuke – kun!"

Sasuke disentangled himself from Anzu's vise – like grip and regarded her with a serious look. Tapping the counter with his pencil, he stared at them. "Now that you're here, may I take your order?"

Anzu leaned her elbows on top of the counter and eyed him dreamily. "I'll have a strawberry sundae with matching syrup. I want it filled with candy sprinkles, marshmallow bits, and chocolate balls topped with whipped cream and a cherry on top."

Sasuke sighed then jotted down on his pad Anzu's order. He wrote **Strawberry Fiasco**. Turning to Tomo, he asked, "And what will be your order?"

Tomo smiled. "**Vanilla Ice cream** if you please."

He gave her a grin as he also jotted down her order afterwards punched their tab on the cash register. The girls gave him the desired amount then he pushed a button for the register to open and stuffed the money inside. The machine tinkered and crackled as it processed the cost of their orders. It sputtered out a roll of white paper and Sasuke tore it out. He then handed it to them along with the change. He made a motion with his hand. "Why don't you guys sit first and we'll bring your order to your table after a few minutes?"

Anzu flashed him a sultry smile. "Oh, we'll be waiting."

Sasuke gave a snort as he watched the two seated themselves in a booth next to a window over viewing the sea. Naruto appeared a few minutes later, his drenched hair dripped madly on the floor. Sasuke handed him a towel, which he ungratefully accepted.

"You're late. There's an order of Vanilla Ice cream and a Strawberry Sundae with all the works in booth no. 23," he told the blond ninja who only stuck his tongue at him. Sasuke gave a sound of annoyance as he swiped a glob of mess that spilled on top of the counter when something caught his eye.

* * *

Sakura was standing outside, handing out advertisements of the shop to outsiders. His eyes turned to slits when he observed that she wore nothing to the imagination except a **tiny** **hot skimpy two – piece black string bikini **that clung to every curve of her body. He hitched on a breath and a stress mark appeared on his forehead when he saw her handed a flyer to a well – built man about their age. He then breathed a sigh of relief when she managed to dodge the man's forwardness.

"Damn that perverted geezer! Promotional model my ass! As if I didn't know, he told her to work like a harem girl in that get – up," Sasuke mused in rage as he wiped the counter so hard, it produced a harsh grating sound. "Wait till I get my hands on him…"

"Oi, teme! Before you…uh…devise a plan for murder or something, here are the orders for booth no.23," Naruto began, dumping the orders in front of Sasuke. The Uchiha brat glared at it for a few minutes before grabbing it then proceeded walking out of the counter. Naruto smiled slyly as he stole a glance of Sasuke's object of regard then to the fuming Uchiha delivering the order to the designated booth.

…………

"Here's your order," Sasuke grumpily said as he placed the Strawberry Sundae in front of Anzu then handed Tomo the Vanilla Ice cream in a cone. Anzu smiled prettily at him.

"Sasuke – kun, join us here in the booth," she coaxed him.

Sasuke smirked coyly at her, suddenly became annoyed at her invitation. "As good as your invitation sounds, I'm afraid I can't, Anzu."

Tomo nudged her friend. "Sasuke – kun is right, Anzu. He's only here for work and not to trifle with us."

Anzu whined and pouted like a toddler. "Ah! I want Sasuke – kun!"

Sasuke shook his head in utter irritation as he trudged back towards the counter to entertain the orders of the other customers. He would have a word with the owner after they're done working their butts off for him.

…………

"Thank you!' Sakura smiled gleefully as she handed another glossy flyer to a passerby. She wiped sweat from her forehead and squinted her eyes on the blasting heat. She averted her gaze down to her current attire and she swallowed as she observed some of the male horde ogling at her. Lowering her gaze, she decided to walk a bit farther from them in search of new crowds. Looking at a small batch of people hanging out in the lounging area, she took a deep breath then walked towards them. She smiled again, a little meek this time, as she moved to attract their attention.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Want to have a taste of Cool Cool Paradise?" she asked sweetly. The people stared at her then smiled with exuberance.

"My, my, my, what is this? An ice cream shop? Sounds great! What do you think guys? Should we try it?" A woman in a red one – piece suit drawled. Her company yelled out a "Yeah!" and Sakura sweat dropped. She motioned a bit closer to them then handed them each of the flyers in her hand.

"Well then, you can find our shop right next to the dumpling stall. We'll see you there," Sakura added then left. She was heading back to the ice cream shop when she heard loud purposeful steps behind her. Thinking it was another passerby; she mustered up her courage and put on her winning smile. Turning to the person, she greeted warmly, "Good afternoon! Want to have a taste of Cool Cool Paradise?"

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at her. Her smile dissipated in a matter of seconds and was replaced with a tiny smile. "Uh…hello sir. Want to have a taste of Cool Cool Paradise?" she asked weakly.

He crossed his arms. "I don't want to have a taste. And can you please explain to me why are you wearing such indecent clothing?"

Sakura blinked. Indecency? She eyed him with curiosity. "Indecency? Sir, I'm afraid you're mistaken. I'm only wearing this in order for us to earn money. To make it short, for W – O – R – K."

Sasuke grumbled. "Work huh?"

Sakura smacked him lightly on his arm. "Sasuke – kun! You know as much as I do that we need to earn money for our ticket back home. You, me and Naruto already talked about this before we accepted the job." Seeing Sasuke's face still firm, she heaved a sigh. "You're mad at me aren't you?"

"Damn right I am," he replied flatly. Sakura tapped one finger on her cheek as she tried to come up ways to soothe the infuriated Uchiha. She flashed him a coy smile as she sauntered towards him. "You don't want me to wear indecent clothes like these, Sasuke – kun?"

"Aa."

"What if…I say, I like to wear these indecent clothes? After all, they suit me just fine." She twirled around in front of him, giving him a good view of her delectable bottom. Sasuke's jaw twitched. Is she trying to seduce him to worm her way out of his inquiry?

He smirked as he moved closer to her, deciding to participate in her little amusement. He wrapped an arm around her cute little waist and pulled her close. So close that she could feel his body heat. "Sasuke – kun!" she gasped.

"Hn?"

"W – what are you doing?" she blurted out as she felt the hard frame of his body molded completely against her soft one. She tried to push herself away from his hold. "Sasuke – kun! Don't tell me you…"

Sasuke glared slyly at her. "I, what? First of all, you were the one who started this game. And second, I'm not the one who's wearing a tight black strip of cloth that you're calling a bikini," he answered dryly as he backed her inside a dressing cabana a few meters away from the ice cream shop. Once inside, he pulled the curtain shut and turned his attention to the slightly uncomfortable female in front of him. He placed his arms on either side of her head and looked down at her. "Change your get – up."

Green eyes crinkled in astonishment. "What?"

Sasuke lowered his face so that it was inches from hers. "Change. Or do you want me to do it for you?" Sakura squeaked in embarrassment. "No! I can't possibly do that! I didn't bring any clothes with me, and I…" she added, staring in his obsidian gaze, "I like this swimsuit."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I can see that. However, as your teammate, I suggest, no; I order you to change your clothes right now. I don't know what that distorted owner messed in your brains but your get – up can attract loads of people. Particularly perverted male hordes."

She stuck a tongue at him. "Mou! You're so uncaring, Sasuke – kun! Does this mean, you never liked seeing me in this swimsuit? At least other people appreciated my physical attributes unlike some who had already their chance of being shown full bodied but had the nerve to push it away!"

Sasuke raked his fingers irritatingly through his raven hair. He glared at his pink – haired teammate. "Who says I didn't like you in that swimsuit? For your information Your Royal Sensitiveness, not only I appreciated it, but I loved seeing you in your get – up. And besides, how can I enjoy the full bodied view if I'm going to share it with tons of horny males out there?" He retorted bluntly. Sakura's cheeks went aflame when she felt his hand travel down from her backside down to her derriere.

"Oh!" she whimpered as Sasuke bent his head down to the curve of her neck. She fisted handfuls of his shirt then made a face. "Mou, stop it Sasu – kun! Or else…!"

He didn't looked up at her when he mumbled. "Hmm?"

"I hate to ruin the moment but we need to go back to work."

It was now his turn to make a face. "You really know the right time to spoil a moment don't you?"

She giggled as she wiggled her hips against his. He groaned. "Sasu – kun, as much as your courting skills sucks, I'm pretty sure you know where my heart and loyalties are," she added as she nuzzled his neck. He slung his arm lazily around her. "Aa," was all he said before swooping up her chin and leaning down to meet her lips for a kiss.

"**TEME! WHERE IN THE HELL ARE YOU NOW? THE BOSS WANTS TO TALK TO THE TWO OF US! YOU'D BETTER NOT BE FROLICKING AROUND WITH SAKURA – CHAN IN SOME DARK CORNER AND MAKING WEIRD SOUNDS!"**

Sasuke cursed under his breath. "As always, the dobe ruined the right moment at the wrong time."

Sakura giggled again next to him. "See what I mean?"

He parted the flap of the cabana open and squinted outside. "I guess we had no choice but to head back. But," he looked over at Sakura's scantily – clad body. "I'm not going to let you out of this place unless you make yourself decent."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak but seeing that he would not back down, she removed the pink bandanna she had tied around her hair. Her pink tresses flowed like silk and folding her bandanna in half; she wrapped and tied it securely around her waist. She smiled demurely at Sasuke.

"There! All done! Now can I go now, Sir? There are a lot of customers out there waiting for me." She teased him saucily. Sasuke let out a sigh as he nodded then motioned for her to get out. She followed after him and Sasuke clenched his fist as he started to count from one to fifty in order to calm himself down.

Sure enough, Naruto was waiting for him outside the shop. Sasuke continued walking even though the Kyuubi brat rushed to his side, his face red from edginess. "Teme! Where have you been running off to now? The boss wants to talk to you regarding our pay and you suddenly disappeared to some who – knows – what – kind – of – place you ended up with!"

Sasuke punched him on his face to shut him up. "Stop it dead last. You've been ringing up my ears for the whole day." He opened the shop's door and stepped inside, slamming the door shut. Naruto started shaking his head in annoyance before standing up and follow his teammate inside.

…………

"Finally, congratulations! You have successfully finished your job in my ice cream shop," the owner thanked them. Naruto snickered at the comment while Sakura blushed. Sasuke however, rolled his eyes as he stared at the owner in the eye.

"Can we get our pay now? We don't want to waste our time here," he said straightforwardly. Naruto nodded eagerly.

"Hold on." The owner opened the cash register with a Ting! He then rummaged for a while and pulled out a wad of money. After counting it in its exact amount, he handed the money to Sasuke who recounted it in return. The owner's eyebrow went up. This kid really doesn't trust anybody…

"How much is it, Sasuke – kun?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke finished counting and put the money inside his pocket. "About 25,000 ryo. It's perfectly enough for our trip back to Konoha." Naruto began cheering so loud that it almost shook open the shop's rooftops. "Oi, be quiet dobe!"

Sakura went to the owner and shook his hand. "Thank you very much for your help, Sir. We couldn't go back home without the money. Actually," she added, gesturing to her bikini, "Everything was quite a pleasing experience. I will never forget this."

The owner flustered at her words. He then smiled slyly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Very well said, Sakura! I'm also thankful for your help in attracting lots of customers here in my shop! I'm sure, I'm going to miss you badly."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched.

Sakura managed to free herself gently from the owner's grasp. "Umm…thank you once again, Sir. We will go now."

The owner looked sad. "Aahh…okay. See you once again when you come back here in Tea Country. If you ever need a job, don't hesitate to come here and talk to me!" Sakura nodded and started to leave when the owner caught her wrist. "Just a second."

Sakura looked confused. "What is it, Sir?"

The owner smiled deviously at her. "Can I ask you something? I want you to satisfy my curiosity."

Naruto strained his ears to listen while Sasuke tried putting up a straight face. He was already starting to count from one to twenty and he was still on number nine. Sakura was a bit dumbfounded at first, but since the owner wants to ask then she had to oblige him one. "Of course, Sir. What do you want to ask me?"

The owner's lit up. Clasping Sakura's hand he asked in an excited voice. "Can you tell me, WHAT"S YOUR BUST SIZE?"

"NNNNNNAAAAAANNNNNNNIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Naruto screamed in vexation. Sakura blinked once, twice. Then she smiled…she smiled! Very much added to Naruto's horror.

"Why do you want to know it, Sir?" she asked sweetly.

The owner smirked. "I just want to buy you a souvenir, you know, one of those kinky bikinis that could show off your curves and…"

Sakura's eyes glittered. "Really sir? Oh wow, I've always wanted to have a red bikini!"

"You want that? How about one made of leather? And wait, what about a slinky, furry type? That would suit you!"

"Oh wow, sir! Would it really suit me?"

"Oh yes, very," the owner replied as he let his hand travel down to the small curve of her back and let it rest there.

Little did the owner know that a dark chakra started to emanate from a certain someone standing a few inches from them, his Sharingan eyes with its three commas swirling slowly and turning to Mangekyou. His left palm began to sizzle and a ball of chakra started to collect in his hand. Naruto gulped as he made hand signals to Sakura indicating DANGER.

But the pink – haired kunoichi however did not pay attention to Naruto's warnings. The owner too, he was too busy sizing up Sakura's physical attributes. Naruto sensed the same familiar dark chakra and he sweated bullets as he saw Sasuke walking dangerously towards the owner and tapped him on the shoulder.

Naruto didn't waste time. He grabbed Sakura – chan by her waist.

"Naruto! Wha…?" Sakura didn't have time to speak when she saw her Sasuke – kun going to have a man – to – man talk with the owner. "Uh oh…" she gulped as she and Naruto covered their ears and prepared themselves for the outburst.

SMACK!

"YYYEEEEOOWWWWCCHHHH!"

CRASH!

"AAAAHHHHHHH!"

KA – POW!

"EEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!"

BAM!

"Ohhhh…have mercy!"

Katon! Goukakyu no Jutsu!

KA – BLAM!

"Hhhwwwaaaahhhhhhhhh!"

Sakura dared not to open her eyes, but she did, and she gasped as she saw the owner barely able to move and was pleading madly for Sasuke to spare him. She rushed to the owner, checking the degree of burns that he received from the Katon jutsu and she gulped when she felt Sasuke's eyes trained on her. She stood up and faced him. "Mou, Sasuke – kun! You shouldn't have taught him a lesson in the most brutal way possible! And you also used a jutsu against him!" she scolded him, pointing a finger accusingly at him.

Sasuke yawned. "I just taught him never to play with fire." Glaring at Sakura who squeaked in return, he added, "or else he might get burned."

Sakura crossed her arms and pouted. "I can't believe that you're capable enough to do this, Sasuke – kun!" Crouching down to the owner, she conjured up chakra in her palms and after gathering enough, she placed her hands on the wounds and sealed every burn and abrasions shut. Naruto grinned in mischief as he observed Sakura scolding Sasuke again and again in regards about "hurting civilians" and "getting too overprotective".

"Well what do you know…a lover's quarrel…and they're not in a relationship yet? Heeheehee! I wonder how Sasuke – bastard will escape out of this…" Naruto thought happily. Another sign that my ramen is getting nearer and nearer…

Sasuke was already deadbeat from hearing out Sakura's ridiculous ramblings. Sighing, he scooped her up by her waist and hoisted her on top of his shoulder. "H - Hey! Sasuke – kun! Put me down!" He only shrugged as he walked past the thoroughly beaten owner then exited the shop through the front door. Naruto on the other hand, grabbed a pen and paper from the counter. After scribbling a few words, he placed it on top of the owner's forehead.

"Too bad pal, you should've never messed with an angry Uchiha Sasuke. Trust me on this, based from my experience, it'll kill you," Naruto replied simply, and then patted the owner's forehead. He got up to his feet and followed his two teammates that were already gone.

The owner blinked then stared at the ceiling of his shop. "Wow…what the heck was that?" he asked himself then winced when he tried to get up. The note fell from his forehead and fluttered down to his lap. He snatched the paper and read what was inside.

It read, "**We. O .U!**"

* * *

"Sasuke – kun! Enough! I want to go down!"

"You're not going down if you don't stop beating me painfully with your fists."

Sakura huffed angrily as she wiped away stray tears from her eyes. "I know that it's my fault since the beginning! I'm so sorry! So please, put me down and I'll walk on my own!"

Sasuke eyed her bikini – clad bottom from his vantage point. 'Quite a view,' he thought then noticed that she suddenly became quiet. She was probably staring at his back anyway. Sighing, he swatted her butt gently and smirked inwardly when she started to wiggle against his hold.

"Sasuke – kun!" she screeched.

He chose to ignore her. He then continued walking down the path to where he stashed their bags when the summer wind breezed past them. "Whew, finally, something to ward off the heat," he mused then he felt Sakura shaking above him. She was starting to sniff so he cocked his head and looked at her. "What?"

"S – Sasuke – kun! My…" Sakura croaked out.

"What?"

"My…my… MY BIKINI TOP GOT BLOWN OFF!" she wailed, her eyes filled with tears. She automatically brought her arms to cover her unbound bosoms and pressed her tear – streaked face on his back. "My top is gone, Sasuke – kun!"

"NANI!" he said out loud when he noticed, yes, there was an unmistakable softness grazing his back but WAIT! Sakura's top was gone and he had no other choice but to search for her offending top and calm her down. Trying not to hear Sakura's sniffles, he finally spotted a dressing cabana not far from them. He rushed inside of it and pulled the flap shut. Putting the weeping girl down, he brought his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "Oi, stop crying. We'll eventually find your top."

She sniffled loudly. "It's all your fault!"

Sasuke sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, alright. My fault. Happy now?" She didn't answer, she was too busy covering her upper body with her bare arms. He suddenly felt guilty on his part and without word; he encased her in the safety of his arms. She sobbed uncontrollably while he stroked her hair. "Ssshh…it's going to be alright, Sakura. I promise you that we'll find your top."

She raised her face to look at him. "Do you promise?"

He could have easily laughed at her childish antics but he decided that now was not the time. "Aa. So be quiet and I'm going outside to look for it."

"Wait, Sasuke – kun!"

"Aa."

Sakura gestured to her half – naked self. "You can't possibly go out there and leave me like this!"

"Oh right." With that, Sasuke pulled his shirt off over his head. Sakura backed away a few steps from him. "S – Sasuke – kun! We…uh…what…what are you doing? We can't do this here!" she lashed out, her cheeks glowing red at the sight of his…yum…very delicious abs.

Sasuke bonked her lightly on the head. "Baka. What are you babbling about? You're really becoming annoying with that mouth of yours." He then ordered her to raise her arms. Sakura fumed. "No! Absolutely not!" He sighed helpless as he grazed his fingers lightly in Sakura's sides and she giggled. "Sasuke – kun! Mou, stop! It tickles!" she cried out and uncontrollably flailed her arms upward. He instantaneously slipped the shirt over her head and tugged it down to cover her body and avoid seeing anything unnecessary.

"There. Now, you stay here. I'll find the dobe and we'll search for your top," he stated as he went out of the cabana. Sakura blinked wide in confusion then she peeked at the corner of the flap and saw Sasuke's naked back going farther and farther away from her view. Slowly, a smile crept up her lips. "I'm wearing Sasuke – kun's shirt…again."

* * *

Whew…after searching for nearly an hour and a half, Sasuke managed to locate the bikini top that was dangling on top of a tree branch. Muttering curses under his breath, he climbed the tree and when he was almost within reach of the branch, he stretched out his fingers to grab it. But the wind suddenly attacked again and Sasuke cannot let go of the tree with his hands so he had no choice but to grab the top with his **teeth**. He barely caught it by the end of its string and his face went red when he finally went down. He had attracted quite a lot of spectators with his stunt.

…………

After a few minutes, they were already inside the ship bound for Konoha and his blond teammate never stopped laughing after finding out his little adventure. Naruto snickered out loud. "Wahahahahaha! Nice one, teme! I didn't expect you to go all out to get Sakura – chan's top! Not to mention you used your teeth in order to get it! Wahahahahahahaha!"

SMACK!

Sasuke cracked his knuckles as he watched Naruto sailed away to the farther part of the ship. "Bastard," he said to himself as he went back inside the cabin to sleep. He hadn't been getting any sleep lately and maybe it was because he was too busy to close his eyes. He opened the door to their room and slammed it shut. He slouched down face first on his bed and he groaned in exhaustion.

A female voice spoke. "Tired?"

"Aa." He turned his head sideways and eyed her sitting on her bed.

"Not seasick anymore?" he asked.

She smiled at him childishly. "Nope."

He heard a soft patter of footsteps and then Sasuke found himself being pinned down on the bed. He heard her giggling above him. "Sakura. What are you doing?" he asked mildly his face slightly pressed down on the covers. She sat astride his waist with her hands placed on top of his back. "Nothing," she answered in her singsong voice.

"Nothing? Aa, then why are you still wearing that dopey looking shirt? Change back to your own clothes right this minute. We'll be back to Konoha by morning," he stated tiredly, cocking his head to one side and stared up at her. She bounced up and down playfully on his back. He groaned.

"No way! So what? I love this shirt. This is the only souvenir I've got from the Tea Country. And besides," she pointed a finger to the elaborate logo printed on the shirt she was wearing. "This shirt came from the Ojisan's ice cream shop. And this shirt is **yours**. And **you** gave it to me."

He flipped onto his back and he grabbed her by the waist so that she was sitting on top of his stomach. "Aside from your whininess, you still have the nerve to sweet talk to me." He smirked when she bent closer to him; her short pink hair slightly covered her face. "You don't want to?" she asked teasingly. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Who says?"

She giggled as he spread kisses from her forehead, to the tip of her nose, then to each side of her cheeks. She instantly closed her eyes when he was about to kiss her on her pink pouting mouth…

"Oi, teme about the next mission…**HOLY CRAP! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING IN FRONT OF MY INNOCENT BUT NOW TAINTED EYES!**"

The two immediately broke apart when they saw Naruto already dressed for bed, his frog – printed pajamas with its orange color brightening the entire room that Sasuke's retinas were almost burned. Sakura squeaked above him and was about to scramble off his bed when he tightened his hold on her waist. "Sasuke – kun!" she whispered in an intake of breath.

He ignored her. "What about the mission dobe?"

Naruto pointed his finger at him. "How are we going to discuss the mission if you had Sakura – chan with her legs splayed out all around you!"

Sasuke covered his yawn with the back of his hand. "Then we'll discuss the rest of it tomorrow." He sat up from his bed then picked up Sakura, and without a word, padded quietly to her side of the bed and deposited her on top of it. He tucked her underneath the covers and patted her head. "Good night Sakura." She then buried her blushing face under her covers.

He then retreated to his own bed and looked at Naruto. He suddenly became annoyed at the blond ninja's amused grin. "Hn, what now about the mission, dobe?"

Naruto grinned evilly. "Nothing! Just saying Good Night and Have Very Sweet Dreams Sasuke – bastard!"

"What…the…" Sasuke never got to finish when Naruto climbed onto his own bed and started to sleep. He shook his head wryly then proceeded to lay himself down when he heard Naruto talked to him again.

"Oi teme, what will happen if I tell Kakashi – sensei of the times that I always caught you on the act?"

He was instantly smacked with a pillow.

* * *

**Author's Note:** My very first special! More will come soon after several missions. That depends on your liking too. What do you think? It will be getting very cheesy in the later parts of the Scavenger Series. Thank you for supporting my fic and for all the previous reviews, thanks for the suggestions. See you on my next Chapter!


	8. Karaoke for Sake 1

Disclaimer: Naruto is the creation of Kishimoto Masashi. Although I don't possess the characters, I'll just use them for my own personal liking. Enjoy!

* * *

Joys of Team 7

Chapter 6: Karaoke for Sake

* * *

It was a sunny day in the Fire Country, and peace still ruled the land. In the forest, after visiting the memorial stone, Leaf's copy ninja decided to take a small break. "Hmm… peace," Kakashi mused as he sat down on the ground and leaned against the tree. He always loved the pleasing and tranquil atmosphere. Flipping his Icha Icha Paradise into its right page, he scanned the next few phrases when he heard noises coming from the huge doors of Konoha.

"Finally! We're back!"

"Keep quiet, Naruto! We've wasted so much time in finding these stupid dumplings and you acted as if nothing happened!"

"Whew, why don't you both shut up and leave me alone?"

"You're not helping Sasuke – kun!"

Kakashi closed his book and stood up. He walked leisurely towards his 'team' and waved a hand in greeting. "Yo. Still fighting I suppose."

His pink – haired student went red at the sight of him. "Ka – Kakashi – sensei!" she squeaked as she stole a glance at her two teammates. Naruto let out a nervous smile while Sasuke stared blankly at them.

"Hi, Kakashi – sensei! We just got back from Tea Country to carry out our mission and everything turned out fine!" Naruto reported. Kakashi glanced at them then broke a huge grin through his mask.

"Is that so? By the looks of it, you've wasted three days in your stay at the Tea Country. That's not enough for the three of you to complete all of my missions. It's one step close to failure." He commented. The three lowered their heads in shame. Sakura was the first one to look up at him then her entire face lit up. "Oh I almost forgot!" she exclaimed as she put her bag down and fumbled inside. She finally grasped what she wanted then handed it to her sensei. "Here sensei!"

Kakashi blinked at the red box in his hand. "What's this?"

"Your dumplings." She answered simply.

"Oh," was all he said then opened the box. His eyebrow went up and he sniffed inside. Naruto waited eagerly for his judgment while Sasuke rolled his eyes again. Sakura twisted her fingers nervously, staring hopefully at Kakashi. "Well?"

Closing the box, he gave her a masked grin. "Well, if it weren't for this very tasty dumplings, I could've dismantle your team but, oh well, you've worked hard to attain these. I heard that these dumplings are really hard to find and judging by your uh…scrappy appearance," he continued, as he took note of Sakura's slightly disheveled hair. "You've encountered all the odds just to get these."

Naruto stepped forward, obviously pleased with his comment. "So are we still going to continue the mission? Are we?"

Kakashi put a hand under his chin. "Hmm… well, alright. I'm going to give you guys **three more days** in extension for all the trouble you went through. However," his uncovered eye went stern. "If you can't finish all of the missions in the allotted time, consider your team dispersed. And also, you won't have missions for the next three months. Oh, and Hokage – sama sent an order for you two boys a disciplinary action for your behavior." He smirked inwardly at his student's gaping faces.

"Wha – what…? That's too harsh, Kakashi – sensei," Naruto blurted out. Sakura's green eyes lost their bright sheen. Sasuke was still impassive as always but Kakashi could see his eyebrow twitching. _'So they're affected…huh? Looks like threatening them will heighten their teamwork and their efficiency to do the missions. Works like a charm.'_ Kakashi snapped his fingers to bring their attention.

"For now, you'll have a half day break. When the sun reaches sundown, we'll resume the mission. Meet me at the bridge for mission briefing, that's all." With that, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"…………………………………"

Naruto stared at his two teammates who were absolutely in opposition to Kakashi – sensei's notion. He was also feeling the same way. Not finishing the missions will create a huge blow to his ego. Sasuke – teme, of course, he always took pride in everything that he does. He'll never stop unless the job is finished. He knew the same goes for Sakura – chan too.

Silence hung heavily between them so Naruto sighed and decided to be the first to speak out. "Well…we're still on track. At least Kakashi – sensei's considerate enough to give us three more days, what do you think? We'll just do our work better this time! No more slip – ups!"

Sakura nodded. "Naruto's right. We'll just take this as a learning experience. Who knows? We might finish this long before we reach the deadline. Then our team will not be dispersed. And you guys will avoid getting a disciplinary action."

"Aa. I guess we'll have to be serious this time. We'll need to boost our team effort this time," Sasuke agreed. He adjusted his backpack then glanced at his friends. "We'll meet at the bridge before the sun sets. For now, get some rest. And try to eat as well."

"Hai!" Naruto and Sakura echoed in unison.

* * *

"Welcome back! I see you've been on a tough mission," the owner of the Ichiraku greeted Naruto as he took a seat at his customary stool. The Kyuubi brat smirked at him as he handed a handful of coins on top of the counter.

"The usual, oyaji. And add another roast pork and broth while you're at it," he replied as he began to tap his fingers impatiently on the counter. He let his gaze wander around and his blue eyes widened as he saw who was sitting on the chair farthest from him. He smiled as he realized whom it was then waved gleefully. "Hinata – chan!"

Hyuuga Hinata squeaked out in surprise as she saw Naruto waving at her. She then lifted her hand in a shy greeting at that time stood up from her stool to head towards his direction. She plopped herself down on the stool to his left and smiled thoughtfully at him. "You're finally back. Did your mission from the Tea Country ended up successfully?"

Naruto flashed her with his thumbs – up sign. She smiled as she settled a bit more comfortably in her seat this time. "Did you and Sasuke – san still had a fight out there like you usually had?"

He interlaced his fingers together and propped his elbows on the counter, leaning his chin on top of his entwined hands. "Hmm…not the usual bickering. Although after experiencing his die hard punches, I'm still alive and good as new." He laughed at Hinata's worried expression. "Nothing for you to worry about, Hinata – chan!"

The glassy – eyed girl patted Naruto's unkempt hair affectionately. "You're impulsive as ever, Naruto – kun. And I'm sure you did a couple of things to make Sasuke – san jealous of you and Sakura – chan?"

The blond ninja made an innocent expression, his blue eyes big with childlike humor. "You're so mean, my Hinata – chan! As your boyfriend, I thought that you're always at my side. And now you're mad at me for dissing off Sasuke – bastard's life!" She bonked him lightly on the head.

"As your girlfriend I had the right to. Your pranks have gone too far, you need to limit them once in a while." She smiled when he pouted. "Even if it's a means of finally getting them together."

Naruto smiled widely, lacing their fingers together. "I knew there's also a space for mischief in that mind of yours. And besides, after we end them up together, Sasuke – teme and Sakura – chan will treat us to a lifetime supply of ramen! That teme sure has loads of money in him! Could you imagine that he paid my debt for about 50,000-ryo here in Ichiraku? I tell you, he **is** filthy rich!"

The Hyuuga heiress smacked him lightly on the arm. "Hey! Don't be like that to Sasuke – san. Shouldn't you be happy instead that he's finally returning his feelings to Sakura – chan?"

Naruto snorted. "After he hit his head several times on the wall, yeah, he finally realized it. But come on, Hinata – chan, Sakura – chan is quite a lucky girl to have him. I didn't even know the teme was that loaded! Surely, their babies will end up to be spoiled little rich kids once he asks for her hand in marriage! And besides, I'm his best pal! Of course, he's not going to be selfish in treating his dear old chum for a bowl of ramen, now wouldn't he?"

Hinata chuckled, her small laughs bringing brightness in the small food stand. "For a lifetime. That's probably your idea, Naruto – kun. And after going out with you for eight months and a half, I already know that ramen's your staple food."

He pouted again. "You're not going to deprive me of my precious ramen, aren't you Hinata – chan?"

She giggled as she brushed stray strands of blond hair away from his face. "Of course not."

He smiled and he leaned forward to kiss her on her cheek when he heard a gasping sound. They both looked up and blushed when they saw the owner brought them their orders with a shocked expression on his face. Naruto chuckled nervously while Hinata still flushed.

"Ah…ha…ha…well, now I know how Sasuke – teme feels whenever he's being interrupted…" Naruto undoubtedly said to himself.

* * *

Noontime.

And he was becoming lazy.

Sasuke grunted as he pried the pillow away from his face. His eyes cracked open and he slammed his fist down to put off the alarm on the clock beside his bed. He, afterwards, put the pillow back on his face and close his eyes shut. He needed a lot of sleep once Kakashi grounds them with more and more of his unintelligent missions.

Unfortunately, his sleep was abruptly halted with a knock from his front door. He muttered curses under his breath as he hauled himself out of bed and sluggishly made his way out of his bedroom then to the living room to answer the damn door. If it were another one of his fans, he would just slam the door right on their faces. If it was Naruto, in that case, kicking him out of his property will be easier. He peered through the peephole and his urge to sleep lessened when he saw who it was.

It was Sakura.

He groaned, nevertheless flung the door open for his pink – haired teammate. She stared at him for a few minutes, her green eyes crinkling before stepping inside his house.

"Sleeping?" she asked by way of greeting.

"Aa," was all he said as he closed the door. Sakura shrugged offhandedly as she went straight to his kitchen --- which he found rather astonishing. How did she know where his kitchen was? Instead of pondering, he made his way through his kitchen, and found her removing some items from the brown paper bag she seemed to be carrying earlier. Probably from the grocery, he mused.

She looked up from what she was doing then she saw him. She grabbed some of the items then went towards his fridge and opened it. She stacked them inside then returned to get the other items. "The last time I went here to help for spring cleaning, I noticed your fridge had nothing except for a pitcher of water inside. So I decided to stop by at the grocery and bought you some of these," she explained as she stacked the last of the groceries and closed it shut. She observed him standing by the doorway, arms crossed in front of his chest. She smiled sheepishly. "You think it's crazy, don't you?"

He looked somewhat baffled. "I was planning on grocery shopping myself. But I'm not yet scheduling myself on when I'll do it."

She gave him a bright smile. "Then, it's lucky for you right?"

"Aa."

Minutes passed and Sakura suddenly began to grow uncomfortable. She twisted the hem of her red skirt shyly as she caught the Uchiha staring provocatively at her. "Umm…aren't you supposed to sleep now?" she asked sweetly.

Poor boy. He looked tired. "Uh…yeah." He shuffled his feet and trudged his way towards his bedroom at the end of the hallway. She could hear the faint sound of his footsteps as they go fainter and fainter from her range of hearing. When she heard the door to his bedroom closed shut, she then decided to do a little tour around his vastly wide home.

* * *

"Really? And is your ankle okay?" Hinata asked Naruto as he walked her to her home. She was suddenly concerned about his sprain after he told her and of course, watching him limping a little when walking.

He grinned widely. "Of course! It'll heal for a couple of days, and we need to finish the mission before the deadline hits."

"I know, but still, I think you should take it easy. Sasuke – san and Sakura – chan are also in your team, you need to depend on them more since you'll be needing to rest your ankle a bit," she stated calmly, clearly perplexed. Sometimes Naruto was too stubborn for his own good.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders --- for support and also to hold her. "Hinata – chan, it's okay. I'm going to turn up fine and great after we finish Kakashi – sensei's missions. Afterwards, I'm going to take you out on a nice and romantic dinner with music and candles and lots of ramen!"

Hinata smiled faintly, hiding her concern. "Ramen? How romantic, Naruto – kun. I'm going to be looking forward to that after your mission."

Naruto still continued grinning like a Cheshire cat as they finally stopped in front of the Hyuuga Mansion's front gate. After giving her a quick peck on the cheek, he added as an afterthought, "It would be the teme's treat."

A loud cry can be heard throughout the entire Hyuuga estate as Hinata, the once shy and timid girl whacked Naruto not – too – lightly on his arm.

* * *

It was three o' clock when Sasuke finally woke up from his nap. He lazily sat up from his bed and eyed the brightness of the sun that was filtering through his open window. "Hmf, two hours more before the mission briefing…" he mulled over as he grabbed a new change of clothes from his closet and walked to the bathroom.

…………

He was busy drying his hair with a towel when he decided to check up on her. He first looked in the kitchen then to the living room. He still knew that she was still around, her scent wafted through the entire house and into his nostrils. He went to check on the garden and from there; he found her sleeping outside the tatami mat on which he and Itachi used to sit and view the garden when they were young.

_That's where we usually talked…beside the pond…_

_The last time we talked was about was…_

He shook his head to clear his mind of unnecessary thoughts then ambled forward towards her. He quietly sat on the mat and watched her sleep. Wind blew softly and a few strands of pink hair tumbled and partially covered her face. 'She must've been tired after exploring the entire place,' he idly thought.

His thoughts began to travel again to that time where his entire clan was brutally massacred by his brother and he, clinging miserably on a single thread of hope that Itachi would change his ways. Unfortunately, he didn't. Itachi was also obstinate, what he does was for himself and himself only. He wouldn't even care what would happen to his younger brother who unwillingly took up his responsibilities as the unselected head of the clan. It was a bit agonizing that he, the only Uchiha alive, was undoubtedly chosen by default.

"Sasuke – kun?"

He was reverted to his usual thoughts when she called his name. He looked down at her and saw that she was half awake and rubbing her eyes. He averted his gaze from her to the pond, which was poorly maintained due from the years he stopped caring for the entire place and his disappearance for more than a year. He shrugged.

"I didn't bother waking you up. You need rest for our mission later," he stated flatly, being his usual self. She ignored his sudden coldness, stretching her arms dreamily then seated herself fully beside him.

"Hmm…thank you for the advice, Sasuke – kun. I didn't realize that I was falling sleep. I am enthralled at your pond over there and kind of disappointed that it's not properly cleaned," she said out loud, pointing to his object of regard obviously. He drew his knees together as he sighed.

"It was my brother's. When we were young, he used to keep a large school of **koi** in that pond. He told me that fishes were much easier to tend than dogs and cats. I was much into cats myself but he couldn't stand furry creatures, unfortunately, so was Otousan. He'd never wanted scratches and teeth marks on his weapons anyway and so, they agreed to let 'Nisan keep the fish," he explained tersely, as if it was nothing more but a distant memory.

Her green eyes tinged in amusement. "How cute! **Kois** are really popular especially if you're thinking of fishes as pets. How did your brother got one?"

He thought about that for a moment, hesitating. Afterwards, he shrugged. "He caught one on those fishing stalls when we went to the festival years ago." His dark eyes grew serious. "If I remember correctly, that was the last festival I ever attended with him and my parents."

He half expected her to blubber out like she usually did when she found out a sad piece in his life, but she didn't. She just kept quiet. "I'm…I'm sorry for asking, Sasuke – kun."

He shrugged again. "Why should you? It was all in the past. It was only a faint memory from my childhood. I didn't dwell on that, why should you?" He then stood up from where he sat and looked at the afternoon sun. "It's almost time. We better go."

She watched his back as he walked a few meters away from her. She shook her head dejectedly in regards to his previous statement. "But you're wrong, Sasuke – kun. You've dwelled on them much longer than that. You've always been buried within the memories of your past. Which is why you've chased after your brother all these years. Revenge for the childhood innocence that he cruelly took away from you."

* * *

It was three minutes to sundown when Team 7 reassembled. Naruto was already on the bridge, waiting, and became impatient after finding out that his other teammates who were usually earlier before him weren't there. His blue eyes narrowed into slits when he caught sight of them walking towards his direction, Sasuke trudging first as always with Sakura behind him. Naruto gave a brief wave to catch their attention.

"Oi! This is new! You're both late, and it's strange because you're usually here on time," the blond ninja commented. Sasuke answered him with a grunt while Sakura smiled sheepishly.

"I went out for a couple of errands, Naruto. And then I met Sasuke – kun along the way, so, we walked back here together. Nothing exciting to tell about," she answered simply. Sasuke raised a brow at that while Naruto appeared convinced. He placed his hands on top of Sakura's shoulders.

"Sakura – chan, it's okay. At least the bastard didn't do something rash on you," he said as he stole a glare at Sasuke. He yelped when the dark – haired boy returned his glare with a matching one. However, Sasuke's glare was deadly. Hoo – boy.

"Anyway," Sakura began, feeling the tension building up between the two. "Kakashi – sensei sure is late again. He'd better have a good excuse or else…"

Sasuke leaned against the railings. "Hmph! As if that lecher ever had a good excuse to begin with. He's just frolicking around and reading one of his perverted books."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Let's just wait for him to give us his damn briefing! I swear, he must be plotting something bad against us! Who knows, he might send us on a scuba – diving mission to capture the world's largest pearl!"

The Uchiha snorted. "Really smooth, dobe. What will Kakashi do with a huge block of sea pearl? Give it to his girlfriend? As if he ever had one!"

Sakura shot out a scolding finger at Sasuke. "Sasuke – kun! You shouldn't say such things about Kakashi – sensei!"

"What things?"

The three looked up then sweat dropped as they saw Kakashi standing within mere centimeters from them. Sakura gulped and Naruto waved a shaky hand in greeting. Sasuke remained deadpan.

"Uh…what things? Oh yeah, about the mission, sensei! What about our mission?" Sakura covered up, hoping that their suspicious sensei won't ponder more on Sasuke's words.

Luckily Kakashi didn't seem to mind. "Oh yeah! Thank you for reminding me, Sakura. I know you're not going to be happy with my excuse, so I'll just go straight to the point. As I said before, your mission is extended for another three days. And now," he said as he handed Sakura a folded piece of paper. "Mission continues. The rules still stand. **Absolutely no Justus**. Is that clear?"

"Hai!" they answered.

Kakashi sighed. "Well, that is all. Meeting adjourned!" And he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto eyed the paper Sakura was holding. "So, can we read now what's inside? I'm dying to finish this."

"Hai. Well, here goes," Sakura slipped the paper open and scanned its contents. Her face fell into a shocked expression. "Whoa. Find the biggest jar of sake? But the wine stores are already closed. We couldn't possibly buy one tomorrow, time's running out."

Sasuke scratched his head irritably. "Great. Kakashi wants us to buy him sake?"

Naruto grinned cunningly at Sasuke. "Why don't we buy the sake using the teme's money? He's filthy rich anyway!"

"I'm not going to waste my money for stupid things such as sake bottles, dobe."

Sakura crumpled the note with anxiety. "What are we going to do?"

Naruto crossed his arms and began to think. "Hmm…" Then his blue eyes lit up. "I know!"

Sasuke and Sakura stared at him. "You know what?"

Naruto joined his fists together, his face held an expression of happiness. "I know where we could find the biggest sake bottle!"

* * *

Night came and the houses were dimly lit --- a sign that everyone was going to sleep. The only lights that were still brightened to full blast were the ones in the bars. But our notorious Team 7 continued their mission to get the biggest sake bottle. And now, they stood in front of the Hokage Tower, with Naruto fumbling with the lock on the back door.

"I don't understand why we have to do this," Sakura began, feeling uneasy.

Naruto jiggled with the lock, apparently determined on what he was doing. "If there is anyone who terribly loves sake, it could only lead to two persons --- Ero – sannin and Tsunade – bachan. Those two are certified alcoholics, they drink sake as if it was plain water." The lock broke and the door slightly opened. His grin went wide. "Finally, it's open!"

He pushed the door further and it gave way with a soft creak. Turning to his teammates, he grinned. "We'll tiptoe our way towards the 'bachan's office."

Sasuke glared at him. "Tiptoe? Why can't we just mask our presence by hiding our chakra? That'll be easier."

Naruto returned his glare with an unabashed look. "DUH! Because, teme, we can't use our chakra even just to hide our presence. Didn't you hear what Kakashi said earlier? Absolutely no jutsus until the end of the mission."

"I hardly ever forgotten," Sasuke retorted crossly.

Sakura placed a finger over her lips to shush them both. "Hush! I could sense that there's still someone up there inside the Hokage's office. It must be Tsunade – shishou working overtime again."

Naruto paled. "The old lady's here? Crap, we'll get busted if she finds out we've been sneaking around here in this late hour!"

Sasuke shook his head annoyingly. "Just move dobe. We're already here and it'll be useless to go back empty – handed. Might as well go straight to the Hokage's office and take the sake bottle."

Naruto jabbed him on the ribs. "Yeah right! As if we could do that! Hello! We're up against one of the Legendary Sannins! And a Hokage no less!"

Sasuke jabbed him back. "Whose idea is this in the first place? Yours moron!"

Sakura pushed the two of them apart. "Stop! We'll cause a ruckus! Let's just get this over with."

"Hai." Both boys exclaimed.

* * *

The door to the Hokage office squeaked open and the three ushered themselves inside. Naruto was in the lead, followed by Sasuke then Sakura. They flinched when they saw the Fifth Hokage inside, sleeping on her desk with her face flat on the smooth surface and snoring lightly. They heaved a sigh of relief and went to work.

After searching all throughout the Hokage's office, the three huddled together with disappointed looks. "Looks like Shishou doesn't keep her sake bottles inside the office. What should we do?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"I'm sure that the largest sake bottle is here! I'm positive," Naruto argued. He looked around the place then turned back to his teammates. "We'll just have to keep on looking!"

Sasuke snorted as he crossed his arms. "As much as we wanted to do that dobe, don't forget that we're wasting time. Let's just find the bottle someplace else and move on to the next mission."

The blond ninja glared at him then a smirk crossed his face. "All right then, Sasuke – teme, how about this: We'll just buy the sake bottle courtesy of your money!" Sasuke bonked him on the head. "Ow!"

"Sssh! Naruto, we don't have much time! If we're still going to continue to search here, then let's go. I don't want Tsunade – shishou to find out I've been sneaking here with you guys!" Sakura whispered, pulling the two apart. Naruto recomposed himself then stood up.

"Sakura – chan's right. Let's go, Sasuke – teme!"

"Hn. Whatever."

…………

"Kuso! Not again!"

After searching again for two hours, the three still ended up unsuccessful. Out of frustration, Naruto swung his hand against the wall with a resounding Bang! The two glared at him with anxious looks. "What are you doing, Baka! Are you trying to get us killed?" Sakura hissed harshly. Sasuke just speared him with his look but Naruto didn't budge.

"But, Sakura – chan! I'm getting tired of all this crap. I want this to be over and done with!" Naruto whined as he smacked his fist on the wall again.

Sakura bashed her fist on his head. "We know that! Why do you think Sasuke – kun and I are stuck here with you? We're also after the same cause and we have no choice but to look for it!" Naruto banged again on the wall. Sakura cracked her knuckles as she attempted to hit Naruto with it. "Stop that!"

Suddenly, they heard the clinking of gears as they began to feel the whole room began to quake. The ground shook beneath them and a huge explosion rumbled, spewing rocks, wood and concrete in all directions. The three were tossed throughout the room and the explosion managed to quiet down. As the smoke disappeared and dust settled, Sasuke stared angrily at Naruto from the other corner of the room.

"What the hell did you do now, dobe?"

"I don't know!"

A startled shriek caused them to look and both of them panicked when they saw the floor created a huge hole due from Naruto's banging. The scream went louder and they dashed next to the hole and saw Sakura clinging on to her life on the edge of the hole, the darkness underneath her was bottomless. Naruto arrived first, stretching his hand to Sakura. "Sakura – chan! Grab on! I'll pull you up!"

Sakura extended her arm to Naruto's but the flooring her other hand was holding onto started to crumble. Anxiously, she tried to reach out but to no avail. "I can't reach you, Naruto! I'm scared!" she cried out. Curse Kakashi – sensei for not letting them use any jutsus! She can't even use her specialty in chakra control and now…she was causing burden to her teammates again. Just like in the Country of Tea…

Naruto grew worried as he extended his arm further. "Damn it, Sakura – chan! Give me your arm and I'll pull you up!" He stretched further and he winced at the strain it was putting to his muscles. "Sakura – chan! Hurry! Grab on and I'll pull you up!" His pink – haired teammate began to make another effort to lift her arm towards his but it was still no use. The concrete under her hand deteriorated and she slipped, her scream echoing into the darkness.

"SAKURA – CHAN!" Naruto screamed as he prepared himself to leap down and save her. Before he could gather his wits, a swift gust of wind hit him. Before he knew it, his raven – haired teammate swept past him and jumped down to the abyss to save their teammate.

"Sasuke – teme!" he called out and before he knew it, he trailed after him, leaping down to the bottomless pit unaware of the dangers that might befall them.

* * *

She was falling…falling and falling…

She didn't dare open her eyes. It would still be the darkness that she would see anyway. Once again, she had caused trouble for her teammates. Just when she knew she had gained herself an equal footing between them…

She knew she was falling headfirst, the blood rushing away from her lower extremities gathering down towards her head. She was going to pass out…she suddenly wondered how in the hell did her shishou managed to have a bottomless pit under her office floor? Geez, she was plummeting downwards to her death and she still managed to think.

And before she knew it, she found herself being jerked into an upright position and then…she stopped falling. She still didn't open her eyes. Who knows? Maybe she was already dead and now, she was drifting along the vast darkness.

"Oi. You're really annoying…falling down here and pretending to be asleep."

Her eyes flung open and she came across a pair of obsidian orbs. Could it be? All she came out with was, "Sasuke – kun?"

Her blue – clad teammate responded with a small "Hn" and a firm grip around her waist. "Be more careful next time. I might not be able to save you." She clung tighter to him, whimpering. "G – Gomenasai…Sasuke – kun!" Sasuke instead buried his face into her hair and inhaled the flowery scent of her shampoo. In reality, he was kinda freaked out (much more than Naruto) when he saw her slipped off of the edge. He didn't hesitate when he leapt downwards and grabbed her by her waist, and used his kunai with a wire attached to it to anchor his body and save them from death.

A loud horrifying scream reached their ears and they looked up and saw Naruto falling past them in record speed, and the next thing they heard was a loud, deafening crash which they know, he had made contact with the ground.

CRASH!

"Oh well," Sasuke muttered to himself and let go of the wire, making him and Sakura drop to the ground with a soft PLOP! He then lighted a candle and once the flame flickered, it illuminated the entire darkness, exposing the interior of the pit they fell into.

It was a huge room with a tunnel leading to who knows where.

"Where are we? Hmm…I'm sure we're not in heaven," Sakura commented as she stared throughout the room. Sasuke walked around a bit then stopped to see Naruto crumpled flat on the ground. He kicked him on the side with his foot. "Oi dobe, time to wake up."

Naruto opened his eyes wide then instantly sat up. He glanced around the room. "Where are we…whoa? Wow! This is a cool room!" He quickly went up to his feet as he pranced around. "Wow! The sake bottle must be here! Laa – laa – laa – laa!" he exclaimed in his singsong voice. Sasuke bonked him on the head. "Shut up!"

Sakura sweat dropped. "All right guys, let's just search for the sake bottle. I have a good feeling that it might be here." She pushed them forward towards the end of the room. It was also hard to believe that there was an underground tunnel in the Hokage Tower and once they reached the end of it, they were surprised as they found out what was inside.

It was a giant room of sake bottles. No, scratch that, a huge vast storage room of sake bottles.

Sasuke gulped at the abundance of alcohol confined within the room's walls, of every size and kind. Sakura was awed next to him, her eyes darting from one bottle to another. Naruto on the other hand, whooped happily as he clapped his hands. "Yahoo! We found it! We found it! We found the sake bottles! Now let's find the largest one before the 'bachan wakes up!"

"You mean this?"

The three of them turned nervously at the owner of the voice. All of them squeaked when they saw the ever-regal Tsunade – hime perched on top of the pile of sake bottles, her hand rested on what seemed to be the largest bottle of all, with a label "Largest Sake Bottle". They sweat dropped. They finally found the largest sake bottle and now they were caught.

"T – Tsunade – shishou! I didn't expect you to be here!" Sakura croaked out. Her sensei laughed in an uproar and Sasuke felt cold chills within his spine. They have to find a way to get out of this mess. He turned to Naruto, "Oi, dobe, what should we do?" When Naruto didn't speak, he shook him by his shoulders. "Oi, dobe! Don't freeze out on me!"

"I – I'm not!" Naruto retorted. Sasuke glared at him.

Tsunade jumped downwards and landed gracefully in front of them. She was smiling quite provocatively yet dangerously. "I'm surprised that you found out where I'm hiding my sake bottles. If you were ordinary thieves --- I could've easily killed you with my bare hands. But, I'm quite disappointed! Sakura! What are you doing with these two boys? Playing games with the two of them? I'm ashamed of you!"

Sakura gave a tiny whimper of indignity and hid herself behind Sasuke.

Tiny bulging veins throbbed painfully in Naruto's temple as he stepped forward and meet Tsunade head – on. "Oi, granny! Don't scold Sakura! It was not her idea in the first place!"

"Oh really? Then whose idea was this?" The Fifth Hokage roared.

Naruto squeaked in fear and without a word, pointed shamelessly to Sasuke. "It was Sasuke – teme's fault!" Sasuke's eyes widened a bit slightly at Naruto's displacement of blame then stared at the fuming Hokage that was walking purposely towards him. 'Uh – oh'…was his entire mind screamed when Tsunade's full height towered before him. 'Try to come up with something! Quickly!' He berated himself.

Tsunade's brows met together, her expression calm yet scary. "Well…anything you have to say for yourself, Uchiha brat?" Sasuke remained impassive up to this point although his hands began to tremble. It was amazing, to think that he still managed to keep his cool despite the accusing remarks of the big – busted woman in front of him. He decided to provoke her --- just a little bit.

Sasuke shrugged. "What am I going to say for myself for? First of all, I never wanted to be stuck here with that dobe over there. " He eyed Naruto coolly before reverting back his gaze to Tsunade. "And second, we're here for that very large sake bottle of yours."

Naruto squeaked apprehensively. Sakura yelped behind him. The vein on Tsunade's temple throbbed. Oh good, Sasuke had outdone himself this time. The burning amount of chakra emanating from the Fifth Hokage was scorching hot --- indicating that she was indeed PISSED. And too bad, Uchiha Sasuke was an expert at pissing people. Tsunade gathered up chakra in her palm and slammed her fist into the ground. The whole earth shook and under her fist, there was a large hole. Sakura squeaked at the display of her mentor's anger while Naruto was absolutely terrified. Sasuke, on the other hand, was surprisingly calm.

Tsunade withdrew her hand as she stood up in a straight manner. "You've got guts to tell me that you wanted my sake bottle, brat." She cracked her knuckles. "And not just any ordinary sake bottle…" She slammed her fist on the ground again and the hole went bigger and deeper the second time. "…You wanted the **larger** one!"

Sasuke yawned then shrugged. "So?"

It took lots of chakra control and restrain for Tsunade not to grab the Uchiha brat by his collar and knock him senseless. He was a persistent one! If it weren't for her student who was cowering behind his back…oohhh…kids these days! They're getting more and more obnoxious!

Tsunade took a deep breath. "I admire the flatness in your tone, Uchiha. But I'm not going to hand you my sake bottle that easily. You've trespassed on my property without my authorization and I'm not going to let you go without teaching you a lesson." When Sasuke didn't make any comments, she snarled. "Do you even have a care for what someone older than you is saying, you damn unpleasant child?"

Sasuke used his finger to remove something out of his ear. "I understand loud and clear, Hokage – sama. However, I apologize but we are running out of time. We need that sake bottle of yours and we will have it whether you like it or not."

Steam shot out of the Hokage's ears and Naruto decided that it was now time for him to butt in. Sasuke – teme was beginning to make things more complicated. He pushed himself in front of Tsunade. "G – Gomen, Tsunade – obachan! We really, really need that sake bottle of yours! Kakashi – sensei made us do this mission of finding things for him, and if we can't find them all in time until the deadline hits…we're going to be goners for sure!" When Tsunade didn't respond, he pleaded, "Please understand, Tsunade – bachan!"

The Fifth Hokage rubbed her chin in thought. "I didn't realize that Kakashi is still giving you missions at this ungodly hour. And you guys," her amber eyes darted accusingly to Sasuke. "As much as I want to help you in your mission, I can't give you my sake bottle." She pointed her finger to the largest one with utmost importance. "That bottle's been my family's heirloom for several years! --- inside of it is the most oldest sake that is brewed for thousands of years. It is even older than the Hokage Memorial!"

"So? We want it so give it," Sasuke retorted.

"You can't just claim it as your own, you damn brat!" Tsunade snapped.

"I'm afraid Tsunade's right. She can't simply just hand it to you like a piece of candy."

The three of them, including Tsunade whirled around to find Jiraiya sitting on top of the sake bottle. One hand rested under his chin and the other rested on his knee --- the thinker pose. Jiraiya eyed the three youngsters with a shrewd glance. "In fact, she really doesn't care about the bottle. All she cares about is the wine that is inside this bottle. Isn't that right, Tsunade?"

Tsunade nodded in return. Naruto stomped his foot in annoyance as he glared up at Jiraiya. "But we need that bottle! Our lives depend on it!"

Jiraiya huffed. "Well you can't have it. It's a drinker's dream to have a taste of this very exquisite wine that was ripened a thousand years ago. It's the one of a kind treasure, even Gamabunta would say so himself. He likes sake anyway. Unless…" he smirked. "…You'll have to go against Tsunade and me to get it. All of you."

Sakura peeped from Sasuke's shoulder and looked at her shishou's colleague. "You…we… We can't possibly do that, Jiraiya – sama!" She glanced back to Sasuke. "Sasuke – kun! Let's just find another way! I don't want to fight my shishou like this!"

Her teammate smirked. "Why not? Fighting two of the other remaining Sannins seems fun. And I just finished beating that Twisted Snake Freak the other day."

Naruto bonked Sasuke on the head. He ignored the deadly gaze Sasuke was giving him. "Baka! Are you out of your mind? I don't want to fight with the Ero – Sannin either!"

Sasuke smashed his fist at Naruto's cheek and didn't look back when the blond ninja went sailing into the air. He stepped forward towards the two Sannins. "Well, since my teammates don't want to fight their own masters --- I'll be the one to fight the two of you in their place." He cracked his knuckles. "And since I can't use any jutsus, this will be a lot more difficult. So which one of you comes first?" He coaxed them to come closer with a motion of his hand.

The two Sannins looked at each other then laughed much to their expense. Tsunade held her aching sides as she waved her hand in a peaceful gesture. "There's no need for violence, Uchiha. We perfectly understood that your intentions held no malicious intent towards my sake bottle."

Sasuke only blinked at the Fifth Hokage's change of mood.

"However," Jiraiya cut in, holding the unconscious Naruto in his arms --- the blond ninja landed instantly on top of him after Sasuke knocked him out with his fist. He slapped Naruto on the cheek to wake him up. The poor boy cracked his eyes open then Jiraiya tossed him back to Sakura, who caught him right away. "Tsunade and I will decide what type of a fight it will be. You three will go against the two of us to get the prize. Whaddya say? Are you game or not?"

The three of them looked at each other and weighed the options. They really need to get the sake bottle just in case Kakashi put his next clue inside it. Since there wouldn't be fighting involved, then it was okay. It'd be all or nothing.

They slowly nodded.

* * *

And now they suddenly wished they hadn't.

They were inside a karaoke booth along with Tsunade and Jiraiya who were having fun as if they were high school students. They were already sipping wine and laughing while the three watched them skeptically. 'What do these old bummers want them to do?'

Tsunade slapped her palm on top of the table, startling them. "Alright! Let's start the fight!"

Naruto sweat dropped, his mood began to deflate. "Uh…what are we going to do…obachan?"

The Fifth Hokage laughed wickedly. "Hahahaha! You're dense aren't you brat?" She flipped the microphone in her hand then pointed it towards them. "We'll fight…through singing!"

"SINGING?" The three echoed in amazement. Jiraiya snickered.

"S – Singing…? But…how did you…? We're going to sing? NOOOOO!" Naruto wailed, his voice echoing throughout the entire booth. Sasuke and Sakura covered their ears while Tsunade and Jiraiya continued laughing at their predicament. The blond Hokage twirled the microphone for the last time then placed it at the center of the table.

"There you have it. We'll fight for the sake through the means of a karaoke match. We'll do it two times in a row, since it'll only be Jiraiya and me. You three are going to choose which of you will be the ones who'll compete with us. Got it?" The three ninjas slowly nodded then quickly huddled together in the far corner of the booth.

"Hey, who's going to sing for our group? I never sang in front of everyone before!" Naruto exclaimed though his voice was filled with excitement. Sakura rolled her eyes in annoyance while Sasuke remained firm. In fact, he was shaking.

"Well…neither have I, Naruto. Actually…I've sung before but…not in front of you and the shishou!" she answered truthfully. She then glanced at Sasuke. "Have you sung in public before, Sasuke – kun?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Sasuke answered quickly, heat suffusing his cheeks. What kind of a question was that? As the number one rookie and the genius throughout the entire village, Uchiha Sasuke was deliberately known to be good at everything, right?

Right?

Naruto noticed his raven – haired teammate trembling so he began to tease the Uchiha heir. "Oi, teme…may I ask you a question? Can you reaaalllllyyyy sing?"

Stillness haunted above them. If their imagination were still working, a soft gust of the wind would howl at them; the dust would curl into a ball then tumble against the wind. Naruto struggled to keep his face still, while Sakura's green eyes widened in realization. Oh there comes the humiliation.

Uchiha Sasuke couldn't sing. Or rather, he really didn't know how to sing at all.

Earsplitting laughing noises rang out in the booth and a loud smack followed.

…………

"So I guess, it'll just be Naruto and me who's going to go against Tsunade – shishou and Jiraiya – sama," Sakura spoke quietly. Naruto rubbed his sore head while Sasuke nodded in agreement. Even though she wanted to laugh out loud like Naruto, she felt sympathy for Sasuke that he doesn't know how to sing, well, she never even heard him sing the Konoha National Anthem when they studied in the Ninja academy. She had thought before that he was too cool to sing the crappy National Hymn and now she knew.

Sasuke caught her gaze, and she noticed his embarrassed expression. "I – I…I'm sorry that I can't help you in this state." She gave him a soft smile then put her hand gingerly on top of his. "It'll be alright, Sasuke – kun. You can count on Naruto and me on this one." He turned his palm up and gave her hand a soft squeeze. "Arigatou."

Naruto crept up behind them and latched his arms on either side of their shoulders. "Well, there you have it! Leave it to us, Sasuke – bastard! Sakura – chan and I are going to beat the crap out of those guys!" He gave Sasuke's back a hard smack. "Just enjoy your job as a reserve!"

"If you don't stop dobe, I'll have your head," Sasuke growled.

Sakura coughed to bring them back their attention. "All right, you two, that's enough! If we're going to win this one, we need lots and lots of teamwork! Please bear with this setup for a little while, okay?"

Both boys hunched their shoulders in defeat. "Hai."

"Well then," Sakura shot her fist in the air.

"Let's go!"

* * *

Tsunade volunteered, or rather, threatened them that she'll go first. After pressing out the numbers of the song of her choice in the screen with a remote control, the three sat stiffly in their seats as they await their impending doom. Jiraiya noticed their apprehension so he shoved three cups filled with sake in front of them. "Here, drink up! These will ease up your tensions!"

Naruto picked up his glass while the others followed suit. They each stared at the bubbling liquid in front of them, and they sweat dropped. "Naruto, are you…uh…going to drink?" Sakura asked him nervously. He looked at her in the same manner. "Uh…I think so, what about you Sasuke – teme…NANI!" They both exclaimed when they saw Sasuke drowned the sake in one whole gulp. His pale skin flushed and tiny blotches of red tinged his cheeks. He then set the glass down on the table, ignoring his teammates' gaping expressions.

"What?" he asked.

Naruto pointed a shaking finger at him. "Y – You…You're not human!"

He only batted his eyelids. "Huh?"

Sakura instantly went to his side with her palm pressed flat on his forehead. Her eyebrows furrowed when she felt his skin damp with perspiration. "Goodness, Sasuke – kun! What possessed you to drink that…that large amount of sake! Don't you know that it's bad for your health? And for your sanity?"

He slapped her hands away. "I'm not yet drunk! I just want to calm my nerves! Don't fuss on me like that!"

She pouted like a child. "Mou! I was just worried about you!"

Naruto clapped his hands together. "Anyway, let's just begin the competition! We need to get the sake bottle! As IN!"

"Hai!"

…………

1st contestant: Tsunade

Song number: 012786

Title: Home Sweet Home By Yuki

_aruki tsukarete furidasu ame_

_tsukami soko neta usagi o otte_

_anata no me wa suki tooru_

_kurai umi no soko de iki o shite iru mizu_

_watashi o yonde yonde koko ni iru no yo_

_doko e ikeba ikeba mitasareru no?_

_uchi e kaero asu ni nareba_

_daijoubu tte waratte iru kana_

_namae o yonde yonde dakishimeru yo_

_omoidashite me o tojite osanai koro_

_tarinai tokoro o anata ga umete kureta_

_kanashii kimochi datte sa sugu wasurerareta kara_

_kowakunai yo_

As the song ended, the three watched with bated breaths as the screen showed numbers that randomly flashed on the screen. Sakura and Naruto's eyes widened at the score.

**95! You're a professional! You're now ready to conquer the world with your beautiful voice!**

"Nani!" Naruto wailed as he watched Tsunade tossed her blond pigtails in a scoffing manner. Placing the microphone on the table, she plopped down to her seat then accepted the sake Jiraiya offered her. "Arigatou, Jiraiya," she said then proceeded to gulp it down like water. Staring at the youngsters, she smiled with a mocking gesture of her hand. "So, which one of you goes first?"

Sakura stared at Naruto who stared back at her. Sasuke engaged himself to another helping of sake, obviously didn't care about the things happening around him. Jiraiya chuckled for a few moments then grabbed the microphone.

He flashed them with a roguish grin. "All right! It's going to be my turn! Watch and learn, kids!"

…………

2nd contestant: Jiraiya

Song number: 012323

Title: Go! By FLOW

"Oi, Ero – sannin! Isn't this song too much heavy metal for you? I thought you only sing those Kabuki themes and stuff!" Naruto commented as the instrumentals kicked in. Sasuke had to cover his ears --- loud and hard rock music wasn't his style. Sakura continued to flip through the selection of songs while Tsunade downed in huge gulps of sake.

The Frog Hermit coughed for emphasis and grasped the mike, imagining himself as the main character in a musical --- particularly in a Kabuki show.

At the moment they were now hearing the sound of drums and now it was Jiraiya's cue to sing:

_We are Fighting Dreamers Takami wo mezashite_

_Fighting Dreamers Narifuri kamawazu_

_Fighting Dreamers Shinjiru ga mama ni_

_Oli Oli Oli Oh-! Just go my way!_

Naruto snickered when he heard Jiraiya's voice strained on the last tone. Tsunade cheered on the background.

_Right here Right now (Bang!)_

_Buppanase Like a dangan LINER!_

_Right here Right now (Burn!)_

_Buttakitteku ze Get the fire!_

Sakura battled an oncoming set of headache, while Sasuke poured himself another bout of sake and drank it heartily. He was grateful that he didn't have to experience one more piece of humiliation; his dignity wouldn't allow him that.

_Right here Right now (Bang!)_

_Buppanase Like a dangan LINER!_

_Right here Right now (Burn!)_

The song finally ended and the screen began to analyze Jiraiya's score. After the ridiculous drum roll that was commonly present when a winner was about to be announced, his score flashed right away on the screen.

**55! You're going to need lots and lots more of practice!**

"Bwahahahahaha!" Naruto laughed out loud as his insides started to ache. He clutched his sides as he doubled over in laughter and was already rolling over the floor. Sakura placed a hand over her mouth to cover her snickers while Sasuke remained deadpan, though his mouth was curved into a smirk. Tsunade banged her fist against the table, the sake and glasses rattled on the glassy surface.

"Jiraiya! Why didn't you exert more effort during the entire song! Damn it, we're going to lose the sake to these brats because of your bumbling!" she snapped. Jiraiya chugged his glass of sake then waved his now empty glass in front of her. "Chill, chill, Tsunade. We're going to win this one, trust me."

Naruto clenched his fists then grabbed the microphone from the table. "All right! Now it's my turn!" He pushed the numbers of his song from the remote control then tapped his foot impatiently as the screen began to change backgrounds. Sakura crossed her fingers while Sasuke poured himself another cup of sake.

…………

3rd contestant: Naruto

Song number: 000001

Title: ROCKS! By Hound Dog

"Go for it, Naruto! If we win this, the sake bottle is ours!" Sakura whooped. Sasuke sighed as he downed his sake and heat filled his entire being. He never thought that alcohol would make him feel kind of fuzzy…and woozy. Naruto tapped his foot impatiently as the background began to change and the lyrics flash before the screen.

The intro played out slowly, announcing that it was now time for Naruto to sing…

_Come on!_

_owareru youni isoi de iru_

_kawai ta mune ga kari tateru no sa_

_hito kiwa tsuyoku kagayaku hoshi wa_

_ima mo tooku ni aru_

_ushinatte yuku motome nagara_

_ubawa rete yuku atae nagara_

_dare no tame de naku dare no mono de naku_

_ore tachi no ima ga_

Sakura restrained herself from beating her blond teammate as she watched him get carried away from the narcotic sound effects of the song. She almost chewed off her fingernails out of nervousness, praying that Naruto would have a single stroke of luck --- well, even if it was just a tiny fragment of luck.

_itami hodoki kokoro hodoki kage o hodoki_

_iki o tsunete hashiri nukero yami o saite_

_kana shimu koto mo yume o miru koto mo_

_owari wa shinai _

_On the way_

Sasuke gritted his teeth when Naruto hit the last few lyrics with quite a very high-pitched octave. All right, it was enough, and they have to await the stupid screen to analyze the dobe's rather, good – for – nothing performance. Frankly, he was quite envious of Naruto, since he knew how to sing while he couldn't.

_I wanna ROCKS mune ni ROCKS_

"Okay, Naruto! That's enough! The songs is already over," Sakura yelled all the way through the noise. Sasuke paid no heed as he drank another cup, his face becoming beet red. Jiraiya chortled at the song's worse presentation while Tsunade waited impatiently for the score.

The drum roll announcing the winner rang throughout the room again and the score was finally flashed on screen.

**35! Why don't you try to get a music teacher to give you singing lessons, you loser!**

"What the heck! How dare this brainless screen called me a loser! I'm going to beat the crap out of it!" Naruto ranted, his fist poised to kill. Sakura grabbed his arm, calming him down. Sasuke sighed as he crossed his arms. "As expected from the dobe…"

Tsunade shrugged. "Well, who's next? Never mind Jiraiya's low down score. If you could beat my score with a hundred, then I would consider giving you the sake willingly as the prize!"

Sakura clenched her fists. It was a simple offer, yet the cost of it would take them…no…it would crush them. Could she even beat her shishou's high score? She stole a glance at Sasuke who gazed back at her with those gorgeous dark orbs of his. Out of her surprise, he snaked his hand underneath the table to grasp hers and squeezed it firmly.

His words stunned her. "It'll be alright. Just do your best." Although it was relatively short and brief, for her, it was new. Imagine Uchiha Sasuke, coldness extraordinaire, assured her that all would be well. Heat crept to her cheeks. She gave his hand a return squeeze. "Arigatou, Sasuke – kun. I will do my best."

Sakura calmly take hold of the microphone between her hands then pressed the buttons of her next song. Naruto recovered from his irritation and was now cheering for Sakura. "Go! Sakura – chan! Show the Old Lady and the Perverted Hermit what you're made of!" He whistled loudly in a mocking manner for emphasis. Sakura glared at him.

…………

4th contestant: Sakura

Song number: 122245

Title: Ryuusei by TiA

"Enough, Naruto! Don't call shishou and Jiraiya – sama names!" she hissed while Naruto gave her an innocent grin. Sasuke barely shrugged his shoulder, the sake was starting to take effect inside his body and well…it won't be good if it continues. Tsunade crossed her arms, her expression serious while Jiraiya helped himself to a plate of pickled radishes.

A sweet yet soothing melody wafted through the speakers, then a lively tune contrasted to it. Sakura closed her eyes then pretended that she was alone standing on a stage, and the only spectator was her Sasuke – kun. The intro was finally finished and it was her turn to sing.

_I believe your promise_

_It's too hard to give me courage_

_**Always I feel it the precious time seeing you...**_

_tachidomatta kado ni_

_asu e mukau kaze wo kanjiteta_

_machi no akari hoshikuzu mitai ni_

_futari tsutsumu kedo_

_sorezore ni chigau kagayaki ga aru to_

_**warau kimi ga ichiban mabushiku mieru yo**_

_kimi wa ryuusei no you ni_

_kodoku na tsubame no you ni_

_yoru no yami wo kirisaki yukeru hazu_

_tokei jikake no hibi ni_

_nagasaresou na toki wa_

_**wasurenaide hitori ja nai koto**_

Naruto grinned as he nudged Sasuke on his ribs. He was awarded by his teammate with a fierce look. Add the matching hiccup to Sasuke's cool expression and Naruto's smile broadened. He stifled a snicker from as he deftly covered his mouth with the back of his hand. 'Looks like someone is getting affected by Sakura – chan's song…'

_yume wa ryuusei no you ni_

_ameagari no niji no you ni_

_kono kokoro ni hikari wo tsuretekuru_

_nayami tsuzukeru koto ga_

_hitotsu no kotae ni naruyo_

_gomakashitari shinai to chikau no_

The song finally ended and Sakura was surprised to hear applauses coming from the people around her. She blushed then resumed to her seat as Naruto filled her mind with his praises while Tsunade gave her a confident smile. Even Jiraiya stopped from his drinking just to congratulate her.

"Wow, Sakura – chan! I'm quite impressed! I didn't know you were good at this! There's a certainty that we will win this one!" Naruto told her as he hugged her tightly, the air whooshed out of her lungs. She stole a glance at Sasuke who only gave her a smirk --- which, too bad, was the closest thing to a smile for Sasuke. She smiled back at him and he turned away, afraid of letting her see him blush.

Unbeknownst to them, the screen started to analyze Sakura's score. As the drum roll played, Sakura's score was then flashed on the screen with confetti and flying ribbons.

* * *

**Author's note: **Uh…okay. Took a long time to update, but hey, at least I did right? Next chap is still ongoing so I guess a little bit more of patience is needed. The songs came from the opening and ending songs of Naruto...that's the blah blahmy friend and Iargued about last time, heehee! We decided to make a compromise and here are the results. For those who vote thank you very much. For the reviews, againthank you very much and Ja!


	9. Karaoke for Sake 2

Disclaimer: As I mentioned before in my previous chapter, Naruto and its characters are the property of Kishomoto Masashi. I'm merely borrowing them for the sake of my story.

The Joys of Team 7

Chapter 7: Karaoke for Sake 2: The Grand Finale?

* * *

The sound of the drum roll announcing the winner…ehem, the score brought everyone's attention as they averted their gazes from each other and focused their eyes on the screen. There were a series of flashes and confetti before the score was finally shown.

And everyone screamed.

**94.9! You're almost there! Just a little bit more of practicing and you'll be able to reach the top!**

Sakura was flabbergasted. "Nani! You…you mean to tell me…"

Naruto gulped then finished it for her. "…Sakura – chan…lost…" He placed both of his hands on either sides of his face then began to wail. "Uwaahhh! And we're almost close! Damn this screen! I'm really going to burn it down!" He pointed angrily to the screen.

"Well, that's that." Tsunade stood up from where she sat then patted her student sympathetically on her back. "Don't worry about it, Sakura. Try again next time."

Sakura sniffed. "But there won't be any next time, Tsunade – shishou! Naruto and Sasuke – kun's reputation depends on this! And we really need your sake bottle!"

"Too bad but you lost fair and square, stubborn student of mine. If you want to take the bottle from me by force, then I have no choice but to beat you physically," the Fifth Hokage scoffed then cracked her knuckles for emphasis. Sakura whimpered then hid herself, head bowed down, behind Naruto. Jiraiya sighed then glanced at their other teammate who was starting to luxuriate on Cloud Nine. He sweat dropped as he began counting the number of glasses in front of the Uchiha prodigy.

'Is it just me…or did that bratty kid finished all of those 50 glasses in just one seating…?" the renowned Frog Hermit asked himself, especially seeing the younger boy's expression growing cloudier by the minute. He shrugged his shoulder in ignorance as he turned his awareness back to the quarrelling parties. Neither Tsunade nor his pupil and Sakura were willing to back down. He rubbed his aching head. _Why is the sake bottle important to these brats?_

"I'm going to repeat this over and over again! **YOU GUYS LOST!** So, be quiet and get it over with!" Tsunade roared, the vein on her temple throbbing.

"But we need the sake bottle, Tsunade – 'bachan! Just let us borrow it for a while! I promise that we'll return it to you in one piece if you will only let us peek inside!" Naruto shouted back.

Sakura sighed in defeat as she let Naruto fight in a terribly losing battle. Her master had a point. They lost fair and square. And if it weren't for the **0.1 difference**, her score might've equaled her master's and there would be a sudden death to determine the victor.

Unless…

No, she berated herself. She couldn't think of…doing that! It would…It would cost her…her head! But, if she would analyze it over and over again, it would be a best counterattack against her sensei's score. However, she would lose her dignity in front of everyone, especially her teammates! But…how would she go on with her plan?

…………

Sasuke hiccupped and slumped further in his seat. The plush couch made squeaky noises as he adjusted his seating, and suddenly, he had a bout of migraine. His pale cheeks were marred with red splotches and he was feeling hot. Actually, fiery was the best term.

Looking at the regal Hokage and his two teammates squabbling made him want to laugh. The scene was like sort of taken from a comedy show, but the incoming weight of his headache finally settled itself upon his head and unexpectedly he wanted to sleep. "Hic!" he blurted out before leaning his head against the headrest and have a semblance of sleep.

"Let us borrow the sake bottle for awhile, Obachan!" Naruto whined.

"I said no, you damn brat!" Tsunade fired back.

Naruto flailed his arms in a disarray of gestures as he tried to knock some sense out of the Fifth Hokage. "But, Obachan! We really need it! There's not much time! If we can't finish all our missions in due time, Kakashi – sensei will cream us to a bloody pulp!"

"I said no!" Tsunade answered rigidly.

Sasuke raised a hand. "Oi, you two are getting annoying. Why don't you both shut up and let us have a semblance of peace?" he muttered groggily, keeping his face straight.

Naruto glared angrily at his teammate. "You're not even helping us around here, teme! You're the one who started this, so the very least you can do is to help me convince Tsunade – obachan to give us the sake bottle!"

"Don't call me old lady!"

Sasuke yawned much to their infuriation then crossed his arms. He gave another hiccup, and then began to slouch more in his seat. "I'm too tired to deal with all of your ramblings, dobe. If you want and that old hag to fight to the death, then it's best if you two will just take it outside."

"NANIIII!"

"No!" Sakura launched herself at Sasuke to protect him from Naruto's fists. Her shishou managed to restrain herself from pounding Sasuke to death, or even thinking of sentencing him to be flogged. Sakura felt the raven – haired boy's head lolled sideways then out of the blue, slumped face first on her chest.

She squeaked out loud and afterwards, heard Naruto's gasping squeal. Tsunade clenched her fists at the sudden display of affection, or rather, the provocative way the Uchiha's face was planted firmly at the center of her student's bosom!

Tsunade's motherly instinct for her student's well – being kicked in. 'Damn the kid! After all of the pardon I've given him! How dare he…he…' She ambled forward towards the pair but Jiraiya clamped his hand upon her upper arm. "Jiraiya!" she cried out in frustration when she was unable to pry her hand from his grip. "Let me go!"

Jiraiya smirked. "Now, don't do that. Aren't they cute, looking all mushy and cuddly like that?" His smirk began to turn to a sly one. "Imagine, at one particular time, those two would end up to be all hot and sweaty in that same position once they are alone." Tsunade's face flushed crimson as she tilted her face to one side. "You're a sick pervert, Jiraiya!"

The Perverted Hermit chuckled and immediately released Tsunade's arm. She stomped towards the pair with Naruto blocking the view with his back. She could hear the loudmouth ninja wailing incoherent words towards his raven – haired teammate who eventually fell asleep on Sakura's chest. The pink – haired girl blushed furiously as she tried to defend the drunken boy who slumped on top of her.

Sakura raised up her palm in protest. "Naruto! This…this isn't what it looks like! Sasuke – kun is…"

"…Is sleeping soundly between your boobs!" Naruto finished furiously as he sat on the couch and yanked Sasuke by his collar. "Wake up, teme! We already lost! Wake up!" When Sasuke made no move to even budge, Naruto yanked harder but still no good. "Teme! Stop doing greenish things to Sakura – chan!" Sasuke managed to make out a groan and much to everyone's horror, snuggled deeper to Sakura's bosom.

"UCHIHA!" Tsunade wailed like an angry banshee as she pushed herself forward to save, even if there's none as of the moment, left of her student's dignity. Jiraiya couldn't take it anymore; he laughed harder much to his expense. Again, Naruto tried to pry his teammate away from his Sakura – chan but Tsunade beat him to it.

"Tsunade – bachan! What the…?" he never got to finish when the Fifth Hokage clamped her fingers on the collar of Sasuke's shirt then proceeded to wrench him apart from Sakura.

"Tsunade – shishou! What are you doing?" Sakura screamed. Tsunade heaved angrily and managed to tug Sasuke away from her student's body. She shook him violently and luckily, the dizziness caused Sasuke to return to his consciousness.

The young boy mumbled incoherent words then started to rub his throbbing head. His unfocused eyes darted in every corner of the room. "Wha…?" He heard a cracking sound then turned his head around to see the Fifth Hokage looming above him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he snapped. Tsunade let out a growl as he yanked Sasuke by his collar and forced him to look at her straight in the eyes. She snarled. "Y – You… damn brat… How could you…"

"Do what?"

Her patience was getting thin. "YOU – BURIED – YOUR – WRETCHED – FACE – BETWEEN – MY – BELOVED – STUDENT'S – BREASTS!"

There was a slight swooshing of the wind followed by tremendous silence that seemed to wrap itself around them. Sasuke blinked confusingly at Tsunade's claim then turned his face to Sakura. "What did she say just now?"

Her cheeks flushed pink. "Well…I…erm…"

Naruto joined in the foray. "Don't even think of denying it, teme! Your face was even full of happiness while you were doing THAT to Sakura – chan! You perveeeerrrrrrttt!"

"What! I don't know what you're talking about, dobe!" Sasuke's face also flushed pink. There it was… the memory slowly coming back to him… And even though it was vague, he finally got the idea of what Tsunade was accusing him. And by the looks of the people around him, it was certainly not good.

Uh – oh.

"Wait," he began, raising a hand for everyone to give him a chance to explain. The wolves that were surrounding him already inched closer, with their fangs aimed to kill. Okay, now what does a drunken man – turned – sober have to do? He sighed as he resorted to his next move that would surely lower his pride.

He kneeled down on his knees, surprising them. Lowering his head that was already touching the ground, he begged. "Gomenasai, HOKAGE – SAMA. I promise that I'm not going to screw this up again. You may inflict on me any punishment that you wish." Tsunade blinked as if everything was all in a dream. Naruto gagged while Sakura went red. Jiraiya, however laughed and laughed.

"What…the heck are you…" Tsunade managed to come out. Sakura rushed to Sasuke's side, flinging her arms around his crouched body in attempt to protect him. Naruto gasped, steam shooting out of his ears. "Sakura – chan! What are you doing? Let us beat the crap out of him!"

Sakura glared at him. "No you're not, Naruto! You're not going to beat the crap out of Sasuke – kun! We're a team! We're supposed to be helping each other out. I'm not going to let you hurt him. Even if I have to protect him from you."

'I'm not really that helpless,' Sasuke smugly thought. But showing some weakness in front of these wolves was another one of his well – formulated strategies. And judging from the scene before him, gaining Sakura on his side was definitely worth the favor.

He lifted his face and saw the astounded expressions of the people in front of him. "Now it's my turn," he said to himself as he lifted his body off the ground. Turning to Sakura, he held her by the arms then gave a smirk that was only for her.

"Arigatou, Sakura. But I can handle this by myself," he told her. He released Sakura then turned to Tsunade and returned her stony gaze with one of his determined one. "I'm ready for your punishment, Hokage – sama."

Tsunade was still stunned but an idea suddenly popped inside her head. She smiled thinly, while Naruto only looked at her. "Tsunade – Obachan?"

"All right, brat. If that's what you want. I'll give you the punishment that you deserve," she hooted. She removed something from her hand then flung it across Sasuke. He caught it easily with his hand, his face full of questions.

"What's this?" he asked.

The Fifth Hokage laughed in an uproar. "A microphone. And that will be your weapon, brat! Your punishment will be, YOU'RE GOING TO SING FOR US!"

Silence thickened in the entire room.

…………

"NNNNNAAAAAANNNNNNIIIIIIIIII!"

Now, Sasuke wanted to die right then and there. No, this can't be happening. He was hallucinating, that's right. Hallucinating. Damn those glasses of sake that he drank! He was going to expose his weakness in front of everyone. Damn, damn! Why didn't he even try to undergo singing lessons? It was even mortifying that his older brother was a much better singer than he was.

Naruto was no longer mad at him. Instead of annoyance, there was giddiness flashed on his face. His grin went ten to hundred times wider. "Really now, teme. You're going to sing for us? That's…heehee…worth listening for!"

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed.

Sasuke's cheeks were flaming red. Enough is enough. He tucked the microphone inside his pocket. "There is no way I'm going to sing in front of you! This sucks, I'm going home!" He walked towards to where the door was then flung it open. Before he could even take a step out, Tsunade's voice boomed from behind him. "WAIT A MINUTE, UCHIHA!"

He paused, his hand still grasping the doorknob. "What is it?"

Tsunade still wore that smile in her face. "Well, I understand that you really don't want to sing as your punishment. But maybe, if I'm going to turn your punishment as a challenge, then surely you're not going to back out right?"

Sasuke craned his neck to look at her. "What do you mean by that?"

She laughed then sauntered towards him. She poked his chest teasingly with one well – manicured nail. "I know that you still wanted my sake bottle, brat. And for you to snag a win from me, you need to follow my rules. And since that the competition ended up with a draw, the remaining player has to sing. If **THIS** remaining player managed to have a score higher than me, then the sake bottle is yours to keep."

Damn rules. But he knew that she was right. There was no other way. And in reality, **HE** was the only remaining person who didn't sing. For crying out loud. He was engaging in a terribly losing battle. And to a woman no less.

"Okay, fair is fair. I'm going to follow your stupid rules," he spoke in between clenched teeth. Tsunade nodded then proceed to sit languidly on the sofa.

"Go right ahead, the floor is yours," she drawled.

Sakura whispered "Good Luck." in his ear while Naruto still grinned as they went back and seated themselves. Jiraiya poured them another batch of sake, the laughter finally stopped. Only he was left alone standing in the whole room. He removed the microphone behind his pocket then stared at it as if it was a foreign object.

'Okay, this is it. Calm down, Sasuke. This will be the first and last act of disgrace that you'll ever do,' he berated himself. Suddenly, Nausea began to start acting upon his stomach. 'Ugh. The sooner I finish this stupid act, the sooner I can go home and retch my guts out.' Without even noticing, he somehow pressed a button that randomly chose the song. "What the?" was all he ever come up with when they heard a loud booming sound.

"WHAT THE FCK?" he cursed as he read what was written in bold letters in the screen. Now, really, he really wanted to die right then and there.

As in REALLY.

…………

Last contestant: Sasuke

Song number: 008877

Title: Harumonia by Rythem

"Wahahahaha! The teme's going to sing a girly song? Wahahahahha! This is too much!" Naruto laughed until tears streamed his face. Sakura's hand went up to her face while Jiraiya tried to puff his cheeks to keep himself from laughing again. Tsunade pasted a stern expression though the edges of her lips were curved into a smile.

"This can't be happening…this can't be happening," he mumbled, repeating the same phrases. He was starting to have a heart attack --- first he can't sing and now…

NO!

A sweet yet catchy tune floated throughout the room, and Naruto's laughs increased ten – fold. Sakura managed a fixed smile on her face. "Finally, I'll be able to hear Sasuke – kun's voice…and not only that, he's going to sing my favorite song…"

Inner Sakura on the other hand, cheered loudly. _"Woo – hoo! Beat that Ino pig!"_

The letters finally flashed in the screen and Sasuke fidgeted with the mike. 'Oh, what the heck! Stupid pride! I'm also a stupid, stupid person! What's more, I'm about to sing this stupid song! After all this stupid humiliation, I'm really going home!' He took a deep breath then lifted the mike close to his lips. Everyone waited with bated breaths as he opened his mouth and began to sing.

His voice cracked.

Everyone was shocked to his or her senses.

* * *

_nee kikoe masu ka?_

_sora wa hate shinaku aoku sunde ite_

_umi wa kagiri naku koudai de ite_

_kimi wa itsumade mo egao de ite janai to nai chau kara_

Sakura imagined herself dancing to the tune of the song; all the while Naruto stood up then made girly motions, waving his hand gently to and fro. Jiraiya covered his mouth to suppress his giggles and Tsunade kept her face stern. She was certain that the Uchiha brat would not have a score higher than her. She betted her sake bottle on it.

_mawari o mimawasa naku temo mou iin da yo_

_kono te no naka ni wa minna ga iru kara_

His voice strained to follow the highest pitch of the song. He already wanted to die in front of them at that moment. The chorus was then flashed on the screen and as he was mumbling…ehem…singing it, a wave of nausea attacked him.

_naki taku natte nige taku natte_

_shiawase o wasure teu shimatta ra mina utae_

_hikari ga umare yami ga umare ta futatsu wa hitotsu_

_HARUMONIA kanji te TEREPASHII_

Sasuke's voice squeaked on the last line. The high pitch was stressing his vocal cords. His face was beet red as he waited until the last lines were flashed then pressed the mike to his lips, muttering the lines instead of singing it.

_nee kikoe masu ka?_

He dropped the mike as if it was hot iron then scampered towards the bathroom. He slammed the door shut, kneeled in front of the toilet bowl then started to throw up.

Outside, Sakura managed to recover herself, dashing towards the bathroom to help her retching teammate. "Sasuke – kun!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto and Jiraiya's faces were filled with astonishment while Tsunade didn't blink. They gaped at the result of Sasuke's performance in the screen.

**98! You're a professional! You can now live your life happily since you've got the highest of all scores! You can now brag to your friends about your newfound talent! CONGRATULATIONS!**

"I don't believe this…" Naruto choked out. "Sasuke – bastard won!" He jumped out of his seat then proceeded to dance on top of the coffee table. "Yahoo! Yahoo! We won!" He grabbed the largest sake bottle that was leaning heavily at the corner of the room. He lifted it with eager hands and dashed to where his teammates are.

Tsunade heaved a sigh while Jiraiya snickered. The big – busted Hokage glared at her still snickering comrade. "Who knew that that brat had a talent for these things? I was so sure that he was a loser on this kind of thing!"

Jiraiya made a 'tsking' sound, waving a finger at her. "Tsk! Tsk! Tsunade, surely you didn't even know that his elder brother Itachi won the Konoha Annual Singing Competition when he was still young. Although it was kept a secret by many for fear of being burned down by Itachi's Katon Technique."

"How did you know that?"

Jiraiya only winked. "I was one of the judges."

* * *

Loud groaning sounds echoed through the door. Sakura knocked loudly in order for Sasuke to hear her. "Sasuke – kun! Please open the door!"

Sasuke's muffled voice replied on the other side. "I can't …I…ugh…" he groggily replied when another bout of nausea hit him then resumed his retching.

"Sasuke – kun!" she tried again when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned to see Naruto with a hearty grin. "What do you want, Naruto?" she snapped, her teammate's face irked her. Naruto held out something in between his hands.

The LARGEST sake bottle!

But how did…

"The score!" Sakura cried out. "What 's the score?"

Naruto waved the sake bottle with his hands. "That teme beat the 'bachan's high score! With a 98! Would you believe that? Sasuke – bastard had a knack in becoming a professional singer! I never even thought that he had it in him, heeheehee!" he gushed as he lifted the bottle again and returned to where Tsunade and Jiraiya are. Sakura could hear her teammate gloating in glory.

She heard the sound of flushing afterwards the door finally opened. Sasuke staggered in coming out of the bathroom, his body limping against the doorframe. Sakura reached for him, hooking her arms around his waist to steady him. "Are you all right?" she asked. He shook his head.

"W – What…happened? Did I hear Naruto…" he asked, his body trembling against hers. Sakura blushed as their bodies made contact, focusing her gaze instead on his face. "We won Sasuke – kun! You managed to beat Tsunade – shishou's score! Congratulations!"

Sasuke cracked a smile then trudged back to the others. Sakura followed close behind him just in case he sprawls out unexpectedly into the floor. Once they arrived, Naruto was indeed hugging the bottle as if it were a pillow while Tsunade and Jiraiya's faces were grim. Surprisingly, Tsunade ambled towards him then placed a firm hand on top of his shoulder.

"Looks like you've beaten me fair – and – square, Uchiha Sasuke. I'm quite amazed that you have a talent for singing! Never in my wildest dreams have I ever thought that you would somehow pull this off," she said. Sasuke only gave a shrug.

"I wouldn't accept your compliment even if it was a sarcasm, Hokage – sama," he answered weakly, the alcohol wearing him down. Tsunade laughed loudly while Jiraiya only offered a smirk. They didn't expect the Uchiha would possess such a rare talent for singing. Maybe it also runs in the blood…or so they thought.

After the dreaded competition, the three decided to head home to sleep because it was already late (they finished at twelve o' clock in the morning). They decided to drop Sasuke first since he was unstable enough to walk home by himself.

With the sake bottle strapped securely to his body, Naruto helped Sakura in heaving Sasuke's half – conscious body. "Humph! Who would have thought that this guy was heavy? The only food he was consuming consists of rice and tomatoes!"

Sakura gave a small giggle. "You shouldn't say those things, Naruto. And besides, at least Sasuke – kun's nutrition was well – balanced unlike yours."

Naruto glared lightly at her. "At least my ramen consist of five different flavors!"

* * *

After hauling and half – dragging their drunken teammate, they reached the isolated Uchiha district. Sakura led the way to where Sasuke's home was located, and finally, they were standing on his doorstep. After dropping the sake bottle next to the front door, Naruto snatched the keys inside Sasuke's back pocket. He moved moved in front of the door then started to open it.

Once it was finally open, Naruto heaved Sasuke like a sack of potatoes on his back then slowly made his way to his raven – haired teammate's room. Sakura went to the kitchen to grab something to lessen Sasuke's nausea, leaving Naruto to watch over him. She poured hot water afterwards placed a tea bag inside a teakettle, waiting for the tea to brew. Sakura wiped sweat from her forehead and then glanced tiredly at her watch.

Two o' clock in the morning.

"Sakura – chan," Naruto called out from the doorway, exhausted. He sat cross-legged on the floor then propped his elbows on the low dining table. The tea finally brewed, she took out three cups from the cupboard then set them along with the teakettle on the table before Naruto. She poured Naruto and herself a cup, relishing the soothing smell of the tea she concocted. Naruto sniffed his cup suspiciously before taking a sip.

"Mmm! This one's good! Where did you get this, Sakura – chan?" he asked as he savored its sweetness. Sakura smiled as she drank hers, letting the liquid burn her throat.

"Tsunade – shishou grew tea leaves on her herb garden. She gave a whole set to me. She said it soothes headaches and nausea. And also to clear the toxins found in our body. This will be good for Sasuke – kun since he drank a lot more of sake than us," Sakura answered. Naruto downed his tea in one gulp then rose from the floor.

"Well, I better go. I really need to rest. The teme's already sound asleep so I guess we have no choice but to retire for bed. We'll resume the hunt tomorrow morning," he said as he yawned. Sakura nodded then stood up as well, holding a tray with tea. She first guided Naruto back to the main door, then as he slipped on his sandals, gave her a lopsided grin.

"I don't know if this sounds creepy, but it looks like we have to thank the teme for saving our hides back there. I don't know if he would still manage to return to his grouchy self once I tell him of his doings on our meeting tomorrow, heehee! I'll take a look inside the sake bottle after I get a good rest. I'll tell you guys of our next mission at the bridge. See ya!" He slung the sake bottle on his shoulder then slid the door open, closing it with a firm click. Sakura moved to lock it, wondering if her decision to stay behind was right. Thinking of Sasuke's condition, it was inevitable.

With the tray of tea in her hand, she made her way to Sasuke's room. Upon reaching his door, she balanced the tray with her hand then used the other to open the door. She closed the door shut with her foot then quietly walked towards the bed where Sasuke was lying. She carefully placed the tray on the bedside table then slowly sat on the side of the bed, pondering what to do.

After washing Sasuke's face with a cool damp towel, she resorted to observing her sleeping teammate's face. Watching him sleep led her into thinking if Sasuke have been getting enough sleep or rather he doesn't sleep at all. His pale complexion and the dark circles under his eyes proved the latter option otherwise. There was a fine line that was beginning to crease between his eyebrows, an indication that he was having a bad dream. She sighed as she ran her fingertips through that line, watching it disappear.

After all these years he was still haunted by his inner demons…

'Well at least he's not going anywhere', her inner voice retorted. Even if Sasuke would resume his pursuit for power, she and Naruto already had enough strength put together to beat the living daylights out of him. And in case he changed his mind very quickly, then they would be happily dragging him home with no questions asked.

Subsequently she removed his sweat soaked shirt with nimble fingers, folding it neatly then placing it on a chair. She pulled the covers close to his chin, to hide the tempting sight of his uncovered chest before her.

Okay, taking advantage of a drunk but frustratingly gorgeous male was not certainly her cup of tea. Well, on the other hand, Sasuke was certainly successful in making advances towards her.

"But…ugh…I reek," she told herself. The smell of sake and the other odors inside the karaoke bar clung to her clothes. She was already bathing in sweat, and since her object of affection was knocked out cold… It wouldn't be bad if she snuck inside his bathroom to take a quick shower right?

She strode towards the bathroom that was also found inside his room. The door softly opened and Sakura flipped on the light switch. Light spilled throughout the interior of the room. Everything was dark blue, from the tiled counter to the bathtub that cramped the other end of the bathroom.

Turning the faucet on and watching the water gush out; she hummed a soft tune while she took her time in letting the tub fill out. Afterwards, she removed her clothes leaving them in a heap on the floor. Turning the faucet off, she slipped in the tub then sighed as the warm water enveloped her entire body.

"At least Sasuke – kun is sleeping…it wouldn't hurt him if I'm going to borrow his bathroom for awhile," she told herself as she left the door half open, in case Sasuke needs her or simply to watch over him from afar.

…………

His head hurt. And he didn't even need a doctor to examine it.

Sasuke groaned inwardly, the nausea quickly replaced with an onset of headache. Geez, he couldn't remember what turned out next in the karaoke bar…wait a second! The karaoke room doesn't look anything like his room! How did that happen? He immediately sat up, finding himself in his own bed. "What…happened?" he croaked out, rubbing the back of his neck idly.

The bare whitewashed walls and austere furniture proved his theory. Yep, he was definitely inside his room all right. And he was definitely sitting on his bed. A draft came in from the open window of his room, bringing shivers on his spine.

And he definitely wasn't wearing any clothes!

"Kuso!" he cursed, wrapping the blanket around him in a protective manner. Who in the hell was playing a stupid prank on him? Naruto? Kakashi? His mind screamed another name.

Sakura!

He darted his eyes around his room, scanning for any signs of his pink – haired teammate. If she were the perpetrator, then he would now be coming up ways of getting even with her. If it wasn't her and it ended up to be Naruto or Kakashi…then he'd have all the pleasure in the world of killing them in the most brutal way possible.

He heard a faint rushing sound. Water? He averted his gaze towards the bathroom, his eyebrow quirking upwards as he saw the half – open door. "Someone's using my bathroom!" he thought begrudgingly, scrambling out of the bed to stand on his feet. He discarded the blanket he was hanging on for dear life on the floor then trudged like a ghost towards the bathroom.

The soft light of the bathroom greeted him, his obsidian eyes darting from every corner. There was really someone who'd been using his bathroom! And from the looks of the clothes strewn across the tiled floor, the perpetrator was still inside. His suspicious glare darted towards the end of the bathroom; his mouth instantly went dry at the sight before him.

* * *

Inside, Sakura was fast asleep. Her head was cradled at the edge of the tub, her body partially covered by soapsuds. Her eyes were closed and from the looks of it, she had fallen asleep in the tub. He pushed on the door slightly; it produced a creaking sound before it gave way for him to slip inside.

He padded quietly towards her, his eyes roaming freely on her half – naked form. He sat on the side of the tub, his hand reaching out to brush a blob of soapsuds on her forehead. She gave a tiny whimper at the brief contact then slowly opened her eyes.

And met onyx counterparts.

Sakura made an attempt to scream but he beat her to it. He placed a hand over her mouth. "Ssshhh…" was all he said. Sensing she was calm enough he withdraw his hand from her mouth. "And what the heck are you doing in my tub?" he asked by way of greeting.

"Having a bath!" she hissed, her arms flung around to carelessly cover her body. He only raised an eyebrow at her actions.

"You know, even if you do that, you're still naked."

Sakura's cheeks flamed with embarrassment. "I know!"

Tenderness shone in his eyes as he cupped her face with his hand. Sasuke tilted her chin up to meet his face that was leaning towards her. Sakura's face turned warm against his cold palm, suddenly aware of his actions. Her eyes automatically fluttered close when she felt the soft brush of his lips against hers.

He kissed her.

FINALLY! _With no hindrances!

* * *

_

At exactly 7 o' clock, Naruto left his apartment to meet his teammates at the bridge. Humming the rest of his way towards their meeting place, he dropped by first at the Hokage Tower to return the sake bottle to Tsunade since he finally fished out the clue inside it. After finding out their next mission from Kakashi's waterlogged note, Naruto suddenly had inkling that their sensei was playing tricks on them. And of course, like their previous missions, it was another dumb idea.

"Might as well tell Sasuke – bastard and Sakura –chan the very GOOD news," he said to himself as he finally reached his destination. He proceeded to stand on his usual spot and began to wait for his two comrades.

* * *

Chirp! Chirp!

Bbbuuuuzzzzzzzz………

Whooossshhhhh…………

……………………………………

* * *

"Kuso! Where are they! It's past ten already!" Naruto exclaimed out loud, his arms flailing in the air. He was waiting for more than three hours and still no sign of Sasuke or Sakura. He paced for another thirty minutes but still neither Sasuke nor Sakura came.

"Where in the heck are they! Have they forgotten our mission?" he cried out loud to the empty air, more so to himself. Suddenly, a bulb flashed on top of his head, indicating that he had an idea. He sat cross-legged on the bridge's wooden floor, thinking. "Hmm…if I remember correctly, I helped Sakura – chan carry Sasuke – teme back to his house." His face twisted in thought.

"And if I remember correctly, I left Sasuke – teme's house because I wanted to sleep in my own apartment. And if I remember correctly…I left Sakura – chan in…Sasuke – teme's house…" His blue eyes widened as apprehension kicked him.

"Sakura – chan…is still…in Sasuke – teme's house…"

"SAKURA – CHAN!" Naruto cried out in exasperation as he raced towards the Uchiha district that was sadly located at the edge of the town --- A couple of miles from their meeting place.

* * *

The sound of the birds cheeping outside the window broke Sasuke from his sound sleep. He blearily sat up from his bed, glaring at the first greeting of sunlight on his face. "Morning," was all he said as he slumped back to his bed. Laziness was supposed to be tolerated but he couldn't help it. He was slowly recuperating from his hangover after all.

He turned his face to the other side of his bed and was welcomed with a sight of Sakura's slumbering face. He almost banged his head out of shock when he abruptly remembered why she was sleeping there next to him.

_Oh yeah. Last night._

_Wait…last night?_

He immediately sat up as realization dawned on him. "Uh – oh…last night was…" he muttered silently. He stared back at her sleeping form then sighed when he finally confirmed that she was free of any bruises or evidences of manhandling. "Okay, calm down, it's not like I'd taken advantage of her…" he added nervously.

A slight shifting made him flinch in anxiety. Sakura whimpered in her sleep and much to his horror pressed herself more on his side. Sasuke tried to push her away from him but seeing that she was still asleep, he had no other choice but to lie on his back again and wait for her to wake up. Out of the blue, he remembered something important.

_That's right! The mission!_

_There was no time!_

"Sakura," he whispered to her ear, nudging her awake. Sakura only mumbled incoherent words then continued snuggling close to him. He hissed in disapproval as he decided to go for drastic measures. He slipped his hand underneath the covers and slowly but surely glided the tips of his fingers over her bare bottom.

Her reaction was priceless.

Sakura instantly screamed then flung her pillow straight on his face.

* * *

Naruto rounded up another corner, his breaths rapidly turning into wheezes. Kuso, if he didn't arrive on time in Sasuke – teme's house, who knows what the bastard would've done to Sakura – chan?

And he quickly remembered that Sasuke was untimely drunk last night. And because of he need for a good rest, he undoubtedly left Sakura alone with the bastard for the whole night and now…

"Teme! Don't do anything rash to Sakura – chan!" he screamed on the empty air as passersby eyed him with surprised looks and immediately moved out of his way as he ran like a mad fox towards the direction of the Uchiha district.

…………

"OW!"

Sakura jumped out of shock when she unpredictably smashed the pillow on Sasuke's face. She dropped the soft bundle with a nervous laugh, noticing that his nose turned red. "Gomenasai, Sasuke – kun!" she said immediately, starting to become embarrass at her actions.

"Hn. Who would've thought that you would have a good aim?" Sasuke replied dryly. He rubbed his still aching nose. "Ow, for a moment there, I thought you could've broken my nose."

Sakura only giggled. In an unexpected time, memories of last night started to plague her wits and she involuntarily yanked the blanket to cover herself. The aftermath soon made its way to crumble her reasoning. She slowly snuggled close to Sasuke, seeking comfort from the worries and doubts that entered her brain.

"Ne, Sasuke – kun," she began, nervous that she had to take the initiative. He only gave a brief "Hn", an indication that he was listening. She covered her face with the blanket, too shy to see his face. "About…last night…"

"Last night?"

"Yes, last night!" Sakura gathered up her courage to peek from behind the blanket and see his expression. His particularly handsome face was twisted in a baffled frown. She lowered her eyes from his face, focusing instead on the white sheets that were covering them. "Last night…we…uh…you…I…"

She heard him sigh. An arm hesitantly wrapped around her waist. "Aa. Last night was quite unexpected." She didn't resist. Instead she leaned against him, the warmth radiating from his body soothing her.

Sasuke planted a kiss on her temple. "I know what you're thinking. And I haven't formally courted you yet."

Sakura smacked him on the arm playfully. "Hey! That's not fair! And you still have to court me in the most formal way possible you know." She heaved a sigh and leaned back to him more. "Who would've thought that I would end up asleep in your arms while taking a bath inside the tub?"

He eyed her seriously. "Good thing you fell asleep right after that kiss. It would be bad for us if that kiss resulted to something much more right?" He pulled the blanket further to entirely cover their bodies. "At least we finally gotten to do **that** without that dobe around to disturb us."

"He's not here yet. And I think that this will be the only time in the world that we'll be doing this," Sakura softly whispered to his ear. She twined her arms around his neck as she added sweetly, "Want to have another encore, Sasu?"

Instead of answering, he captured her mouth sumptuously for a kiss.

* * *

"Sakura – chan, I'm almost there," Naruto panted as he staggered at the entrance of the Uchiha district. Damn, who was the dumb architect who deliberately designed this city to be built on the farther edge of town?

No wonder the teme had been so cocky; his home was without a doubt far from their meeting place. But on the brighter side, he was the most prompt in their team. Naruto heaved huge amounts of air then continued his way to Sasuke's house.

"I hope that I will make it in time," he said to himself.

…………

Their kiss progressed from sweet to scorching hot. They couldn't seem to take their hands off from each other. Since this was their only free time, they had to make the most out of it. Sasuke trailed his fingers through her short silken tresses, loving the feel of it under his fingertips. His other hand traveled downwards, stopping at the slope of her backside.

Sakura on the other hand, wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping him in his place. Her mouth clashed against his, seeking for dominance even though that chances were slim. She knew that he wouldn't give up his love for superiority, even when she was around him.

The blanket eventually fell down to their waists, and both were completely oblivious to the loud noises coming from outside. After abruptly breaking the kiss, Sasuke was about to bury his face on the space between Sakura's neck and shoulder when his senses warned him to full alert.

"TEME! ARE YOU THERE? IS SAKURA – CHAN WITH YOU? YOU'D BETTER NOT BE DOING ANY FUNNY STUFF TO HER OR ELSE!"

"Shit!" he cursed inwardly. The dobe was already on his way to his house. His loudmouthed ninja's voice echoed throughout the quiet district, his tones reverberating in his sensitized ears. Dropping a quick kiss on Sakura's neck, he quickly covered her with the blanket.

"Sasuke – kun?" she asked worriedly. Sasuke raked a hand through his hair nervously.

"Naruto is coming here." He answered tersely. Sakura's green eyes grew wide as she wrapped the blanket more tightly around her body. Sasuke eyed the distance of his bed to the closet idly. He turned to Sakura. "Sakura, I need your help."

She was shaking. "My help?"

"Yeah. We better get some clothes on or else the dobe might do something more than just ask questions once he sees us like this."

"Uh. Okay."

* * *

_Finally, three blocks left! I'm coming, Sakura – chan!_ Naruto said to himself as he walked past a few houses then at last, reaching the front door of Sasuke's house. He grasped the knob firmly, testing it.

"Kuso, it's locked!" he swore under his breath. His face lit up as he suddenly remembered something. That's right! I have a plan! He retrieved a piece of a thin bent wire inside his back pocket and twisted it to look like some sort of a skeleton key. After wiggling it inside the lock, he smirked when he heard the Ka – ching! sound.

…………

"Sasuke – kun! Are you almost done?" Sakura inquired hurriedly when she felt him struggling underneath the blanket. They were now standing in front of his opened closet, the white sheet wrapped securely around their bodies. Sasuke had flung the topmost drawer open, grabbed a set of clothes then proceeded to change while being kept hidden inside the blanket.

"Just a second!" Sasuke gritted through clenched teeth as he finished zipping up his pants. He was about to throw his shirt over his head when he heard footsteps, the sounds getting closer and closer. "Kuso! He's here already!"

Sakura squeaked. "Oh no! My clothes are inside the bathroom! And they're not even dry yet!"

"Oh shoot!"

_Why does he have to endure all the hardships for this one whole day?_

"Why didn't you say so earlier!" Sasuke ranted as he rummaged deeper inside his drawer for another set of clothes. Tossing it to Sakura, he hissed. "Hurry! Run to the bathroom and change! He'll be here any minute!"

"Hai!" she responded, dashing for the bathroom. But before she could reach the doorknob, they heard the sound of a door being flung open.

"NARUTO!"

Yikes!

* * *

**Author's Note:** There you have it! Part Two of Karaoke for Sake! Next chapter will be a new mission and like the previous missions, another one of Kakashi's dumb ideas. More humor, more terror and more humiliation and more fluff in the next chapter!


	10. The Last Potato Chip 1

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters belonged to Kishimoto Masashi & TV Tokyo. I'm just a lunatic writer using their names for my inane stories.

The Joys of Team 7

Chapter 8: The Last Potato Chip

* * *

The door swung open, hitting the wall with a loud noise. Naruto boomed inside the room, his blue eyes fiery as he pursed his lips to emit a high – pitched shrilly sound. He took a deep breath then began to open his mouth.

"SAKU…"

SMACK!

"OW!"

CRASH!

The oak door gave way and an orange – clad body whooshed outside the room and crashed against the wall. It left a rather huge crack, and smoke flew out of the broken concrete. Naruto rubbed his aching body before making an effort to stand up. "Itai…"

"Damn that bastard! What the heck was he thinking? Hitting me like that…I was just going to ask him about Sakura – chan…" the blond boy winced, deciding to plop down on his crash site. He had a bad feeling that his ribs and spine were going to need a tough healing.

…………

Inside the bedroom, Sasuke cracked his knuckles wryly. He then winced at the splintered state of his door, thinking if he should just fix it himself or simply call a repairman. He heard the bathroom door opened quietly and a pink head peeked out.

"I heard a loud crash. And I have a bad feeling that you had hit Naruto," Sakura said weakly. The raven – haired Uchiha shrugged his shoulder and smirked smugly. "He just slipped on a banana peel and crashed outside the door."

Sakura opened the door widely, shock emanated from her features. "Sasuke – kun! There is no way that Naruto slipped on a banana peel and crashed outside your door! And from the looks of that huge hole in your wall and your dilapidated door, you smacked him with your fists! Am I right?" When Sasuke only yawned to emphasize disinterest, she pinched him not – so – gently on his arm. "Sasuke – kun!"

The Uchiha heir rubbed his sore arm inattentively. "Ow…you didn't have to pinch me that hard, you know."

Sakura crossed her arms in defiance, her cute little nose stuck up in a snooty manner. She was wearing his shirt that was white in color with a wide collar exposing her smooth and pale neck. A small smirk went through his face as he walked towards her. He then pulled her to him, arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"S – Sasuke – kun! What are you doing?"

"Hm?" he asked, never looking at her. He was too busy examining the reddening bruise on the side of her neck. Sasuke felt her pulse trip when his fingers adroitly touched her sensitive skin. "You have a mark here," he commented, amused.

Sakura blushed furiously, pulling the collar of the shirt down to cover the bruise. "Ssh! You don't have to scrutinize it, Sasuke – kun!" She gave him a light jab on the chest. "If Naruto finds out about this little bite of yours then we'll surely be in deep trouble!"

He only raised a brow. "He won't. It's too small. Just the same size as a mosquito bite."

"And mosquitoes don't have teeth to begin with Sasu," Sakura sighed. She quickly gave him a peck on the lips. Sasuke only gave a smirk and was about to return the favor when Naruto burst into the room, his overall appearance in complete disarray.

"There you are, teme! I have several scores to settle with you! Why in the world do you have to punch me a hundred miles away from your room?" The blond ninja growled in greeting. Sasuke muttered a few curses under his breath before facing his raging teammate with a cool expression.

"I don't think my punch could send you that far, dobe. And earlier, you didn't even knock. You just came barging in here without even checking if I gave you the permission to come inside," Sasuke replied coolly. Sakura sweat dropped at his explanation.

Naruto however was not pleased. "Oh really?" A grin crossed his face and raised one brow. His eyes narrowed into slits. "Maybe… you did something extraordinary here while I was away."

The Uchiha heir gave a sigh. "And?"

"Admit it, teme! You did something to Sakura – chan!" Naruto walked towards him, the grin still pasted on his face. "Why else would she stay close behind you if you didn't do something to her!" He crossed his arms and stared purposely at his teammates. "I smell something fishy here!"

Sasuke gave a snort. "Maybe you smelled yourself. You looked like you haven't taken a bath for years."

"What? Of course I do take a bath, teme!"

Sakura gave a momentary squeak before taking a few cleansing breathes. She smiled sheepishly at Naruto. "He didn't do anything to me, Naruto. I was just using his bathroom when you… uh… came. Sasuke – kun must be working on his senses when you came barging in here. So uh… you… we all know what happened next." She turned to her raven – haired teammate who was slightly amused at her explanation. "Right, Sasuke – kun?"

"Aa."

Naruto was still skeptical. "But Sakura – chan, if you were really using the bathroom, then why are you wearing the teme's clothes? Where are your clothes? Surely those clothes weren't the same ones that you wore yesterday!"

The pink – haired girl rubbed her head unpretentiously. "Well I… that's… uh…"

As if he finally hit a mark, Naruto gave a loud hoot. "So, Sakura – chan, since you're not wearing the same clothes as yesterday… is it okay for me to assume that something happened between you and the teme last night?" He grinned widely, knowing he had hit a jackpot. "S – A – K – U – R – A – C – H – A – N?"

'_This is definitely not good_.' Sasuke concluded, his eyes solely focused on the girl next to him. For a minute there, he thought he had seen her hyperventilating. Oh, and she was beginning to look flushed, her palms sweating. Although she was still keeping that fixed smile on her face, he knew that it was starting to crack.

"I sort of…" Sakura stammered. '_Damn! I couldn't say that I used Sasuke – kun's bathtub and accidentally slept while taking a bath. Moreover, I can't tell him that we did something more than that!_'

She knew that Sasuke's eyes were trained on her so she struggled to keep her composure. She couldn't afford to lose her cool. That would ruin everything. She took deep breaths, calming herself. No. She would not hit Naruto. That would ruin everything too.

"She borrowed them from me. Happy now?"

Both Naruto and Sakura looked back to their teammate, confusion etched on their faces. Sasuke glared at them suddenly uncomfortable underneath their gaze. "What did you just say teme?" Naruto asked, his blond brow rose in suspicion.

Sasuke shrugged. "I spilled tea on her dress." He gestured to the teapot perched on his bedside table. "I let her borrow some of my clothes while waiting for her own clothes to dry."

Sakura mouthed a 'Thank you' while Naruto still kept his eyebrow up. Sasuke glared at the blond boy sending warning signals that if he still didn't accept his reason, then he'll be glad to make Naruto understand it in the most painful way possible.

Fortunately, Naruto was able to digest Sasuke's reason. He crossed his arms and pouted cutely. "Ah! That's too bad! I hate you guys! You're hiding something from me, admit it." When the two didn't respond, Naruto continued his ramblings. "Just when I thought we could have a double date now that you guys are hooked up!"

"We didn't hook up with each other, Naruto!" Sakura squeaked out, her voice high – pitched. It was now Sasuke's turn to raise a brow. He was a bit ticked off at that particular statement. Well looking on the bright side, he didn't even start courting Sakura least of all asking her out.

_What can I say? It's the hormones. HORMONES._

But back to the real subject…

"You had the sake bottle right, dobe? Did you find anything inside that bottle?" Sasuke asked, not wasting time on irrational discussions. What he and Sakura do to each other is of their private discretion. Sakura breathed happily while Naruto retained a smug look on his face.

"Okay, bastard since you wanted to go back to the topic," he said as he pulled out something from his back pocket. Sakura and Sasuke moved closer to him to see the note on his hand. Naruto flipped the note open and the three sweat dropped when they finally read what is written inside.

"NNNNNNNAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

* * *

"Where are we going to find this? There are lots of these in Konoha! How are we sure that what we are getting is the right one?" Naruto wailed as he reread the note then crumpled it angrily in between his fist. Sakura gave a slight sigh while Sasuke remained deadpan.

"We're not going to get anywhere if you continue your whining Naruto!" Sakura complained rubbing her temples to relieve herself from a beginning headache. Obviously they were fooled again by their sensei. Who in the hell would possibly look for potato chips?

And Kakashi did not want any kind of potato chips.

He only wanted one potato chip.

**The very last piece.**

"Really, Kakashi – sensei sunk himself this low. Like Naruto said, there are lots of brands and types of potato chips here in Konoha. Searching for the next clue would take us a couple of years! We can't possibly steal all of those just to look for a stupid clue inside," Sakura protested.

"I agree on that. This was a pretty stupid idea," Sasuke grumbled.

Naruto's eyes went shiny and in a few seconds began to grow twice as large as their original size. He placed a hand above his chest then the other on top of his forehead. "Oh where art thou, my dear potato chip? Wherefore art thou? I would find thee."

Sakura bonked him hard on the head. "Baka! Stop doing that, it's too creepy!"

Sasuke gave a yawn. "Anyways, we better act fast. We have six days left before the big event. I don't want to hear Kakashi laughing his ass out when he finds out we didn't do all of his sick orders."

Naruto crossed his arms in mock disgust. "You're absolutely right. I don't want to waste my time doing this crap. I have loads to do, one of them is spending the rest of my time with Hinata – chan." He gave a resounding sigh as he glanced back to his teammates. "And I'm sure that you guys couldn't wait to spend your time with each other either."

Sakura blushed while Sasuke gave him a glare.

…………

"Anou," the petal – haired kunoichi began, seeing the now forming tension between the two men. Luckily Sasuke was the first to break the glaring competition and averted his gaze at her. "If we're going to find the last potato chip, then we must search all of the stores in Konoha."

"And what are we going to do to those bags of potato chips?" Sasuke asked. She can't possibly mean that they have to steal all of that junk food? They'll get arrested for sure! And if she suggests that they should eat all those chips then she has got to be kidding!

Sakura gave him an innocent smile. "We have no choice. We have to buy all of them."

"Nani! And where are we going to get all the money to pay for those potato chips?"

Naruto gave a loud snicker. He slung his arm around Sasuke's shoulders. "Whose money you ask? Then that would certainly be yours bastard! You're the only rich guy in our team! For you, paying those potato chips would be a cinch!"

"Want me to send you to oblivion dobe?"

"Ehehehe…"

Sakura made a time – out gesture with her hand. "That's enough! But we really have no choice. Since we want this charade over and done with, we'll have to take drastic measures." She made an expression of a little lost puppy in front of her teammates --- particularly Sasuke – kun. "You're not going to argue right, Sasuke – kun?"

Damn. She's too good. "Whatever. But I'm not going to pay for those chips alone. You guys are going to help me, understand?"

"Sure we will!" Naruto raised a fist. "Only in carrying those chips!"

WHAM!

"All right! We'll split the expenses!"

* * *

Two hours later, they met at their usual spot on the bridge. All of them sported tired looks, their shoulders hunched. Sakura fanned herself with her hand while Sasuke crossed his arms, not uttering a word. Naruto sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, eyebrows scrunched up together.

Sakura decided to break the silence. "What happened earlier…was unusual."

"Yeah!" Naruto raised a fist in emphasis. "I couldn't believe that those potato chips were sold out fast just like those books that Kakashi – sensei reads!"

"…………"

"Say something teme!"

Sasuke scoffed. "What am I going to say?"

Naruto made a face. "Something that would help us in this story!"

Sakura sweat dropped. "Stop it you guys."

"Oi, whatever. Well then, since all of the potato chips are gone, my guess is that we should find a way to trace the one who bought all of them." Sasuke crossed his arms. "We'll use our reconnaissance skills in finding out who the buyer was. That person lives here in Konoha, I'm sure of it."

Naruto clapped his hands. "Yay! Then we can buy all the potato chips from that person using the teme's money!"

Sasuke gave him a glare.

* * *

And so, our heroes began their untimely search for the person who held all of the potato chips in Konoha. After several hours again of searching, they gathered up again at their usual spot on the bridge. All of them sported looks of depression.

Naruto started the conversation. "You don't need to tell me. Nothing, right?"

"Right."

"Aa."

He then crossed his arms. "Where are we going to find that stupid buyer? We've been searching for hours and hours!"

"Maybe if you just shut up and we start moving, then that would be easier." Sakura sighed then started to pick on her nails. Their search was getting nowhere and if they didn't find the next clue they're doomed.

Sasuke tapped his chin with his finger. "Konoha may be a big village but we know each and everyone of the villagers. Surely there's someone we know who really loves potato chips. Any ideas?"

"Good thinking, Sasuke – kun! If we can guess correctly who's that person then we're surely going to get the next clue from him!" Sakura replied giddily. She then clapped her arms out of excitement then turned to Naruto. "First we'll start with you Naruto. Do you know someone in our class who extremely loves potato chips?"

Naruto scrunched his eyebrows together, deep in thought. "Hmm…I know! Kiba?"

Sasuke snorted. "Kiba always spends time with Akamaru so he probably doesn't like potato chips. And besides, he prefers doggy treats than junk food."

Naruto began to ponder again. His eyes lit up. "What about Shino?"

"Shino's a vegetarian. And he's too busy with his bug farm to even eat potato chips," Sakura answered.

The blond ninja smiled evilly at her. "Oooohhhh…and how did you know that, Sakura – chan? You must be spending a lot of time with him, haven't you?"

"W – what? Of course not! I just happened to saw his eating habits when I was on the same team with him during one of my missions! Nothing more!" Sakura retorted, a blush forming across her cheeks.

Naruto grinned a bit widely this time. "Oh! But potato chips are considered as vegetables too! There are made from potatoes after all! Maybe you didn't catch him eating one!" he teased.

"Potato chips are preservatives! Junk food! And it's not a vegetable! It's a root crop! And no he didn't! And stop teasing me, Naruto! It's not funny!" the pink – haired kunoichi yelled.

Naruto laughed loudly. "Ooohhhh…Sakura – chan! Now I knew something about you!"

"And what would that be Naruto?"

"You – have – a – crush – on – Shino – kun!"

"I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do, Sakura – chan!"

"NO I DON'T!"

"YES YOU DO!"

"NOOOOO!"

BONK!

CRASH!

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

"Naruto!"

"Tsk, you both are too loud. We already have two people down and we haven't even reached Gai's team yet," Sasuke replied coolly, cracking his knuckles. It was already annoying, Naruto teasing Sakura. And worse, the dobe was linking her to Aburame Shino. Of all the weird, bug – loving and creepy guys for her to be ever paired up with…

"Sasuke – kun?"

Sakura's voice seemed to ram inside his brain and shatter his brutal thoughts. "Hn?"

"Are you all right?"

"Aa. I'm all right."

Sakura let out a deep sigh as she placed a hand above her chest. "Thank goodness, I thought you were already planning something scary."

Now that was something he didn't get to hear from her. "Like what?"

She gave Sasuke a smug smile. "I don't know. Assassination or something."

"That's a stupid idea." But deep inside his mind, he was planning about one right about now. And it involves a certain Aburame.

Completely oblivious to Sasuke's thoughts, Sakura gave him a sweet smile. "Well, now that we're back in business again, shall we continue sorting out all of the rookies? We still have lots of time."

"Good idea."

* * *

"We've finally cut the list down to two people. And we better decide who's who." Sakura placed the list of names she made on the bridge's rotting floorboards. Sasuke and Naruto crouched down on either side of her.

"Sugoi! I didn't know that Ino would be fond of eating potato chips. But she was watching her diet right?" Naruto snickered.

"Of course she was, baka. Even though she had a great obsession for potato chips since we were young," Sakura replied then looked at Sasuke, "But when she also had a crush on Sasuke – kun, she threw away her love for junk food in order for her to achieve her desired figure. And of course make Sasuke – kun notice her."

Sasuke shrugged. "I didn't force her to throw away anything just for me to notice her."

"Hai, but it was your looks which moved her to do it. And besides, her restriction for eating potato chips didn't work ever since she started going out with Chouji," Sakura cooed.

Naruto's ears perked up. "What did you just say earlier? Could you repeat it again, Sakura – chan?"

"Huh? Ino stopped her potato chip obsession?"

Naruto flailed his arms wildly in the air. "No! I meant the "going out" part!"

Sakura looked at him. "Oh, Ino and Chouji had been going out. Is that it?"

Naruto leapt onto his feet then started jumping up and down the floor. "Yes! That's it! Hahahahahahahaa! I got it! I got it! I finally beat Sasuke – teme to it! Wahahahahahahahahahaaaa!"

"You beat Sasuke – kun on what, Naruto?" Sakura asked, confused.

Naruto grinned like a happy fox. "I'm not going to tell you guys what I just discovered. Unless," He spoke then glared at Sasuke. "I'll spill everything if you're going to admit to me that I'm better than you!"

"Not in a million light years, dobe. And how can you be so sure that who you guess is correct?" Sasuke retorted complacently.

"I'm sure!"

Sakura pushed herself between the two. "That's enough! Naruto, just tell us who's the person you're talking about so that we'll be able to get the potato chips!"

"I don't want to! You're choosing Sasuke over me! Then I'll go to my Hinata – chan instead!" Naruto pouted as he sat cross-legged on the floor. Sakura tried to restrain herself from wringing Naruto's neck. There was not enough time they have to act fast.

"Dobe, just focus on the mission. Since you already have the idea on who the buyer is then let's just follow what you want," Sasuke interjected. He just had to accept defeat.

For now.

Naruto grinned widely. "All right! Since you said so, teme! I knew you would admit to yourself that I'm better than you!" He waved a hand in the air. "My guess is that…it's the both of them!"

Silence hung in the air.

"Both of them? How are we going to do that? We don't have enough time if we're going to look for them!" Sakura exclaimed.

Sasuke shrugged. "We do have time. And from the looks of things the dobe has a plan." He turned to Naruto. "Don't you, dobe?"

The blond boy only smirked.

Naruto laid out his strategy. "So this is how the plan goes. Sakura – chan will be in charge of finding Ino while Sasuke – teme and I will go and look for Chouji. This will save us a lot of time and effort. If either of us succeeds then that's good. If not, we'll revert back to the original plan."

Sakura's brows scrunched up. "Original plan? We had one?"

"Yup! If the plan fails then, we'll just continue searching throughout the entire Konoha then," Naruto answered giddily.

Sasuke sighed. "No choice. We'll just go along his drift, Sakura."

"As if I have no other choice."

"Well then, let's start the mission! Sakura – chan! Sasuke – teme!"

"……………"

* * *

Sakura walked towards the direction to Ino's house. Naruto had decided that she was the suitable one to interrogate Ino because they had been friends since childhood. The blond boy also added that if he would be the one who got sent out to Ino, there would a 100 percent chance that he would get creamed.

To top it all, Sasuke muttered that if he was the one sent to Ino's instead of Naruto then there was a likeable possibility that the blond girl would rape him.

"_Because you're the only one suitable to do the job!"_ Both boys exclaimed simultaneously in front of her face.

Sakura sighed as she brushed that thought aside. Since they parted ways she had no choice but to do her best. She had her wish granted anyways. She never wanted to become a burden to her teammates again. From now on, she would be on equal footing with them.

She finally stopped in front of Ino's door.

Ino finished brushing her hair when she heard the doorbell rang. Putting her brush down on top of her dresser she went out of her room to answer the door. Opening the door, she let out a half gasp when she saw who it was.

"Forehead girl," she greeted the pink – haired girl. She cocked her head to one side. It wasn't everyday Sakura would come by and visit her. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting. And asking some questions."

"Questions?"

Sakura gave a small smile. "Please Ino – chan. It's important."

Ino sighed then stepped out of the doorway so that Sakura could enter. She led her childhood friend towards the living room. Sakura settled herself comfortably on a red striped loveseat while Ino sat on one of the lounge chairs facing her.

Silence went on for a few minutes before one of them decided to speak up.

"Anou, Ino – chan," Sakura began, seeing Ino's attentive look at her. She twisted the hem of her skirt nervously between her fingers. "I was wondering if…"

"If what, Sakura? Why don't you tell me what you want?" Ino asked wryly. Sakura was reverting back to her shy and stuttering self. The pink – haired girl squeaked in reaction then turned to face her friend.

"Ino – chan, I heard that you're going out with Chouji. Since when?" she asked, striking up for a conversation. Ino stared at her for a few moments then laughed.

"No, not really. I've been helping him with his training for about two months. That's why everyone would usually see me hanging out with him in the training grounds or downtown," Ino reasoned, her smile widening. "The person I'm really going out with is his best friend."

"Shikamaru? Woah, I didn't expect that," Sakura interrupted.

Ino twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers. "Better believe it. I've always thought that he would be nothing but a lazy ass jerk. But throughout the years, he's still the same." She smiled at Sakura. "Chouji's the one helping us to be together."

Sakura slapped a palm against her forehead. "Oh, why didn't you tell me this before!"

"Why would I do that, forehead girl?" Ino fired back. She then smiled cruelly, as if she remembered something important. "If I remember correctly, you were frolicking around with a certain Uchiha."

Her cheeks tinged pink. "I wasn't frolicking around! We were doing a week – long mission made by Kakashi – sensei himself!" She sighed and leaned further in her seat. "He said that our team was lacking teamwork again. So, in order for us to have a chance, he gave us this mission instead."

"Hmm…not when you have Naruto and Sasuke – kun in your team. The world was not a simple place to begin with after all," the blond huffed.

"Anyhow," Sakura brought Ino's attention back to her again. "I came here to ask if you bought some potato chips recently."

"Potato chips? You already know that I quit eating them when I first saw Sasuke – kun. Don't tell me you're the next one who's having an addiction to them!"

"No I don't! It's for our mission," Sakura quipped, her hands turning to fists.

"Mission?"

"_Hell yeah!"_ Inner Sakura answered for her counterpart.

Ino tapped her fingers under her chin. Her eyes lit up. "Oh yeah, I remember now! Chouji told me that he'd go all out in shopping for potato chips this morning! Yesterday he mumbled about not getting any chips and that kinda irks him so…"

Sakura jumped out of her seat. "That means, Chouji is the mysterious buyer! Where can I find him, Ino – chan?"

Ino raised her hands up. "Whoa. I'm sorry, but I don't know where he is right now. He told me to cancel our training today, so I didn't inquire him of his whereabouts."

"But…I…" Sakura stood speechless. Oh no. She already came across with the knowledge of the buyer's identity and now…

Wait! Of course, she had completely forgotten!

Sasuke – kun and Naruto are trailing Chouji by now!

"I almost forgot that they were following him," Sakura said as she turned to her friend and gave her a hug. "Arigatou, Ino – chan! You're the best!"

"Wha…? But I…"

Sakura headed out the door. "Thanks a bunch! Send my regards to Shikamaru – san when you see him! Now all we have to do is to find Chouji and get the last potato chip from him. After this, we're home free!"

Ino was about to say something but Sakura already left. Scratching her head, she went back to the sofa and sat on it, her blue eyes crinkling. "Wait…I almost forgot to tell Sakura about one important detail about Chouji."

Her eyes widened. "I forgot to tell her that Chouji's going on berserk mode whenever someone or something steals his potato chip --- especially if it's the last one being taken away from him."

* * *

"Sasuke – teme, when are we going to stop trailing him? We've been running in circles for hours. It's almost 3 in the afternoon, aren't we going to stop and take a rest?" Naruto grumbled when he and Sasuke halted into a stop and hid behind a huge Sakura tree.

Sasuke bonked his head. "Stupid. If we're going to take our eyes off him, then we failed our mission!"

"But I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry!"

"I'm going to tell Sakura – chan that you're being mean to me!"

"Stop using her name for your own selfish reasons, dobe!"

"You're the one to talk! You're also selfish too, teme! Keeping Sakura – chan all to yourself, you're not even saving a piece of her for me!"

"She's not a toy so stop acting so childishly!"

"I'm not!"

"You are!"

"I'm not!"

"You are!"

"I'm not!"

"ENOUGH!" Sasuke yelled out, causing the man they were trailing after to glance back at their direction. Sasuke cursed as he grabbed Naruto by his collar and leapt at the tree's topmost branch. He swept a hand to cover the blond ninja's mouth as he saw Chouji staring at the tree they recently hid.

"Hmm…for a minute there, I though I heard people talking behind here," Chouji said to himself. He scratched his head then eventually shrugged his shoulder. "Oh well, who knows? Time for me to eat!" He turned on his heel and skipped farther away from their hiding spot.

Sasuke hopped down from the branch. He made a small "tsk" as he watched Chouji going farther and farther away from his sight.

Naruto hopped down as well, his blue eyes filled with annoyance. "Look! He finally got away! What are we going to do, teme?" he whined.

"We're going to tail him," the Uchiha prodigy replied curtly, grabbing him by his collar again then dashed after Chouji.

* * *

After several minutes of tailing him, Sasuke sighed in relief when Chouji decided to take a short break next to a small riverbank not far from the village. He and Naruto hid behind a large bed of reeds as they began to formulate a plan on how to take the last potato chip away from him.

"So what's the plan, teme? Are we going to do the shinobi way of a sneak attack or the prankster way of surprising the enemy until he wets on his pants way?" Naruto began.

Sasuke sweat dropped. "Where in the right mind did you get all those ideas? We're not going to do any of those things. It's foolish. And besides, we're only here to get one last piece of the potato chip he eats. Regardless of the brand and kind."

Naruto snorted. "So how are we going to do it? I know Chouji. He's not going to share his potato chips to any of us."

"We'll let him finish all those chips. When he's about to eat the last one then we'll steal it from him. Before he realizes that it's already gone, of course," Sasuke retorted.

"Right! He'll never know what hit him!" Naruto chuckled evilly.

Sasuke smirked. "Well, all we have to do now is to wait for him to finish those chips. When he eats the last one, that's our time to strike."

"Right on, teme!"

* * *

Sakura rounded up another corner. "Damn, where the hell are they? Don't tell me they left me out here alone!" She turned on her heel then ran on the opposite direction heading for the training grounds. "Maybe they went to the training grounds…" she thought as she followed the paved path to the place where she and her team used to train.

She finally reached the training area but she still didn't saw any signs of her teammates or their target. "They're not here either…I wonder where could they be…"

"Forehead girl!"

She turned around to find Ino running towards her. She jogged towards the blond girl. Ino finally stopped to catch her breath. "What is it, Ino – chan?" she asked.

Ino gave her a futile stare. "Sakura, you told me that your mission is to get the last potato chip from Chouji right?"

"Yup. Sasuke – kun and Naruto are tailing him right now. They might've gotten the chip from him as we speak."

To her surprise, Ino grabbed her on both shoulders. "Sakura! You should tell Sasuke – kun and Naruto to leave Chouji alone! It's mighty dangerous! You see, Chouji doesn't want someone to steal or grab the last potato within his hand and without his knowing! It could kill your teammates!"

"I don't understand at all. Why would it kill them?"

"You'll see what I mean! But for now, let's find them first and stop them!"

Sakura nodded hurriedly and they were about to leave the training grounds when they heard a big explosion. "What the?" both girls exclaimed when they saw a huge cloud of smoke coming from the woods. Startled they started to run towards the direction of the explosion.

They almost neared the source of the explosion when they heard another one. Both girls covered their faces with their arms to block the smoke and splinters of wood. Sakura let her arms fall down to her sides; she was still awed at the huge explosion.

* * *

Suddenly a flash of something blue caught her eye and she screamed. She saw someone's body plummeting to the ground. A symbol of a fan etched on the person's back allowed Sakura to distinguish the person easily. "Sasuke – kun!" she cried out, dashing towards the direction of his fall and was able to grab hold of him before his body crashed down on the ground.

Cradling him in her arms, Sakura confirmed first his identity. "Yep, he's definitely Sasuke – kun all right. But how did he ended up here?" she asked herself. Just then she remembered something important. "Where the hell is Naruto?"

As an answer to her question, another explosion occurred and this time, Naruto was hurtled next to her and his face would've smacked on the ground if Ino hadn't took notice of him and caught his body just in time. Ino slapped Naruto face. "Oi, baka! Wake up! You've got a lots of explaining to do!"

Naruto mumbled incoherent words then slowly opened his eyes. He glanced at Ino first then to Sakura. His blue eyes watered. "Sakura – chan! Where have you been all this time? I missed you!" he turned to Ino next. "Oh, hi Ino – pig."

Ino dropped him by his collar and he landed with a loud thud.

Sakura rolled her eyes then relief washed over her when Sasuke stirred from his loss of consciousness. "Where am I?" he croaked out, edginess laced through his voice. He looked up and saw Sakura's face. "Sakura?"

"Sasuke – kun! I'm glad you're all right!" She helped Sasuke get back on his feet. She immediately blushed when Sasuke gave her a small pat on top of her head as a token of his gratitude. _"Well, judging from that look of his, he's certainly looking forward to giving me alternative ways of showing his gratitude,"_ she thought nervously.

Naruto coughed to bring their attention. "Hallooo? You guys? Are we going to continue the mission or not?"

"Just what the heck happened here, Naruto! Give me a reasonable answer or else!" Sakura growled. Naruto stepped back nervously.

As another answer to her question, a loud BOOM! interrupted their little chat and out came Chouji in his butterfly mode (the kind when he ate his curry pill in the series/ manga), his eyes angry and his two hands clenched into fists. Sakura's eyes widened at the realization.

The potato chip!

Sasuke instantly went in front of Sakura. "Not good! We provoked him too much! I already told Naruto to steal the chip quietly, but no, he tripped on his own foot instead and in front of Chouji no less!"

Naruto also went in front, blocking the two of them and Ino from the effects of the explosion. "No fair! I told you to back me up, you freaking bastard! But what did you do? You were daydreaming about Sakura – chan!"

"I was not, you dobe!"

"Say that again, teme!"

Ino could not take it anymore. "Damn it you two! Shut up and start thinking of a plan right now to alleviate Chouji's anger! He's much harder to beat down than Rock Lee in his drunken state so we better act fast!"

"We know that! But first," Sasuke bent down in front of Sakura. Sakura stared down at him with confusion in her green eyes.

"Sasuke – kun?"

She yelped when he hoisted her on his shoulder, her legs facing him. "W – What are you doing? Let me go! Sasuke – kun!" she shrieked, blush creeping her cheeks.

Sasuke turned to Naruto, ignoring Sakura's outbursts. "Dobe, we're going to split up and meet at the bridge. We have no other choice but to run away for awhile."

"But!"

He turned next to Ino. "Go with Naruto. And please try to make him stay out of trouble."

"I will!"

Turning to Sakura, he only gave her a smirk. "You and I are going somewhere else. I need your help in satisfying my curiosity."

"Mou, aren't we a bit impatient?" she fired back, her face reddening more than ever.

His smirk widened as he and Sakura disappeared into a puff of smoke. Naruto sweat dropped as he and Ino leapt away to safety.

On the other hand, Chouji growled under his breath as he clenched his hand. His eyes blazed ominously as he stomped his foot. The ground shook beneath him and he gave a loud howl.

"I'm going to make you pay for taking my last potato chip away from me!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Whew! After months of attempt hiatus, I finally finished this chapter! I decided to make this into a two – part story to make up for my absence. Don't forget to give a review after reading! Oh, and I want to thank my ever dedicated beta reader who's attempting to hibernate right now…happy vacation!

More reviews means faster updates! Since it's vacation time and all, I decided to put my full concentration in adding new chapters to my stories! For the readers who gave reviews on my last chapter, thank you very much and ja!


	11. The Last Potato Chip 2

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters belonged to Kishimoto Masashi & TV Tokyo. I'm simply borrowing them for my stories.

A/N: Alas, this chapter is a little short. But please read and review anyway. I promise that I'll try to make up with you folks next time!

The Joys of Team 7

* * *

Chapter 9: The Last Potato Chip 2

* * *

A loud BOOM destroyed the stillness of the Hidden Leaf as gray smoke wafted through the outskirts. Amidst of it all, Naruto and Ino headed out of the training grounds with a furious Chouji at their heels.

"What's your plan, Naruto? Surely we're not just going to run all day!" Ino complained.

He stuck out his tongue at her. "I don't know! It's the teme's idea! He's the one who took off with Sakura – chan! The nerve of his sorry ass! Why don't you ask him if you're so worried?"

"Baka! He's already nowhere! And Sasuke – kun told me to watch over you," she fired back.

"The teme! Who does he think he is? My babysitter! Wait till I get my hands on him…"

Ino craned her head to look behind them and gulped when she saw Chouji still going after them.

"Oh no!" She immediately grabbed Naruto by his collar and dragged him relentlessly towards the direction of the town. Looks like they need to get help from someone. Fast.

* * *

Meanwhile…

In the hot spring district…

"Whee…it's so hot, don't you think so, Kurenai?" Mitarashi Anko wallowed in pure bliss as she slapped a wet towel on her back. She sank back in the warm water while eating her favorite dango.

Kurenai sighed. They were so fortunate that the Godaime granted them a day – off. They decided to go to the hot springs to soothe their tired bodies. She combed her wet locks with her hand as she stared at the blue sky above them. "I wonder if the boys were also given a dose of vacation too…"

Suddenly, they heard a slight rustle and both women stopped what they were doing.

"What the…there's something moving beyond the bushes," Anko whispered.

Kurenai hissed. "Don't tell me that it's Jiraiya – sama again."

Anko instantly wrapped a towel around her body and leapt out of the hot spring. "That perverted freak! I swear, once I catch him I'll pop his eyes out and pulverize them!"

Kurenai nodded and covered her body with a towel as well. Both women are ready to pounce onto the enemy. With the count of three, they surrounded the bush.

Anko whipped her kunai out. "You have no chance of escaping! Show yourself!"

The rustling continued. Furious, Anko threw her kunai at the bush. At first they heard shifting sounds and both women waited with bated breaths as the intruder stepped out of the bush.

It was a cute tiny white rabbit.

Kurenai dropped her kunai and walked discreetly towards the furry animal. Crouching in front of the frightened rabbit, she calmly held her palm out. At first, the rabbit hopped carefully towards Kurenai's upturned hand and sniffed it. It didn't take five minutes and the rabbit was curled up in her palm.

Anko scanned the rest of the vicinity then watched the raven – haired woman holding the rabbit. "Well, isn't that nice? Kurenai – sensei wants a cute little rabbit for a pet," she joked.

"I never really had a pet before. And this one is so cute," Kurenai replied and held the rabbit close to her body.

Anko stretched her muscles. "Well then, let's go back to the hot springs. I'm missing the feel of warm water against my back."

"All right," Kurenai agreed. Cuddling the rabbit, she and Anko walked back to the hot springs to continue bathing.

…………

When the senseis were finally gone, a raven – haired boy peeked out from the bushes. "They're gone," he whispered, watching the two women retreating back to the pool. When he sensed that there was no longer danger, he withdrew his hand from her mouth.

His partner coughed then glared at him. "Of all the places we should hide, why here?"

He only grinned. "He won't be able to look for us here. Especially not in the women's public bath."

"Admit it! You wanted to peep on naked women, Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Ssshhh!" He covered her mouth again. She squirmed beneath him. He leaned closer to her so that his mouth was near her ear. "If you don't want us to get into trouble with those two, shut up."

Sakura managed to free herself from his hold. She stared at him. "I can't believe you are capable of sneaking inside a women's bath house, Sasuke – kun. I wonder how many times you tried doing this stunt to other women."

He smirked. "Seriously? I did."

Her green eyes widened. Surely he didn't…

Sakura directly looked up to see his handsome face. Surprise marked her features when she noticed that he was smirking. "No. Don't tell me…you actually tried peeking?"

Sasuke sensed a huge amount of chakra heading towards their direction that he unintentionally answered, "Yep. Once."

Her ears turned red. _'He didn't redden due from embarrassment!'_ she thought angrily, her hands twitching as if ready to strangle his neck.

Sakura pried herself away from the Uchiha prodigy and decided to teach him a thing or two. She then started ranting. "I don't believe this! Uchiha Sasuke! How dare you tell me all of that indecent stuff about yourself! I should've known! Why do I even try to put up with…"

Instead of answering, Sasuke immediately lifted her up and covered her lips with his.

* * *

"GYYYAAAAHHHHHH!"

Nara Shikamaru stopped momentarily from his cloud watching to find an interesting view from below. He saw his blond teammate running around with another blonde trailing behind her. He cradled a hand under his chin as he grinned.

'_Now this is one scene you never get the chance to see everyday.'_

Ino immediately caught sight of him and without further ado, she headed towards him with Naruto right behind her heels. The bored Chuunin raised a hand in greeting until he faced the two panting shinobis.

"Yawn. What the heck are you guys doing? A marathon?" he asked by way of greeting.

Ino shrieked angrily and grabbed him by his collar. "You lazy ass! Quick! Help us calm Chouji down! He's now rampaging the streets in search of us!"

Shikamaru's beady black eyes widened slightly. As in _slightly_. "Whoa. That's some bad news, Ino. What did you do to the big guy in order for him to chase after your hides?"

Naruto practically screamed in front of his face. "WE STOLE HIS VERY LAST POTATO CHIP!"

"Oh, so you stole his very last potato chip? How troublesome," Shikamaru commented. Suddenly, he paused for a bit. "Last potato chip? Don't tell me you…" he eyed Naruto and Ino dangerously.

Ino smiled sheepishly. "Yes, Shika _dear_. Apparently Naruto stole Chouji's very last potato chip."

"WHAT!"

For the very first time in his entire life, Nara Shikamaru screamed.

Naruto and Ino traded knowing looks at each other.

Shikamaru raked his hands through his jet-black hair. "Oh man. This is serious. This is also my first time hearing Chouji in a killer mode. Please tell me it wasn't the **Barbecue-flavored** one you just stole."

Naruto licked his lips in apprehension. "Actually, the chip had a smoky and meaty scent. Is that counted as Barbecue?"

Ino slapped a hand across her forehead.

Shikamaru's eyes widened again. He swallowed a lump in his throat. "Gah, this is no longer a serious problem. This is a catastrophe! What happened to the potato chip?" He grabbed Naruto by his shoulders and shook him. "If you have it now then we'll be able to stop Chouji from kicking your sorry ASSES!"

Naruto looked at him oddly. He began searching his pockets, and removed everything that was strapped and fastened to his body. When he was finally stripped down to his blue boxers, there was no trace or even a small portion of the potato chip stuck to his body.

"Um…it looks like I don't have the chip," he muttered uncomfortably.

Shikamaru and Ino sweat dropped.

"I'M SERIOUS! I don't have the chip with me! What shall we do?" Naruto yelled then shook his two friends. "Yo! Shikamaru! You don't have all the time in the world to stand still!"

"Then what are we supposed to do? Where's the last potato chip that you stole from Chouji? That alone would solve all of our problems!" Shikamaru fired back. Ino sighed as she massaged her temples due from an onset of headache.

Naruto yanked all of his clothes back on and glared at him. "I don't know either! I wasn't the only one who stole the chip!" Suddenly, an idea began to hit him. His blue eyes widened as he remembered a very important detail.

He snapped his fingers. "I remember now!"

"You remember what? Don't give us another scare or we'll kill you, baka!" Ino screeched.

Shikamaru rubbed his aching ears. "Just spill it, Naruto. Or Ino'll bust all of our eardrums."

"I know where the last potato chip is!"

"I said just spill it you baka!"

"All right already!" Naruto smiled an all-knowing smile.

"The chip is with Sasuke – teme."

"NANI!"

* * *

**A/N:** Uh oh. Forgive me for leaving you again with another cliffy folks. Apparently your dear author is now suffering from writer's block. Don't worry! I'll be posting the next chapter as soon as I recover from this terrible suffering. For now, patience is a virtue!


	12. The Last Potato Chip 3

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

Joys of Team 7

A/N: Yo! I apologize for my delay in updating the story. But don't worry! I'll do my best to post the following chapters in the next few weeks so please be patient. Anyways, I hope you'll like this one too. Don't forget to tell me what you think after you read this chapter! For the recap: Their next mission was to get the last potato chip which inevitably fell in Chouji's hands. However, after they successfully snatched the chip away, Chouji went into a rampage and so our dear heroes are hiding with their lives as they desperately try to find the clue in the chip.

* * *

Chapter 9: The Last Potato Chip 3

* * *

Meanwhile, within the deeper recesses of the forest… 

Sasuke parted a small portion of the bush to scrutinize his surroundings. After he made sure that they weren't being followed, he released the bush then turned to his female teammate who was somewhat kinda pissed at him.

He scratched his head. _'Wonder what's wrong with her…'_

On the other hand, Sakura puffed her cheeks. The nerve of him! Admitting his perverse actions right in front of her face! Maybe the attraction that they were having now was nothing but physical. Well, he could go find someone to tend to his itch somewhere else!

"Sakura."

"……………"

"Sakura."

"……………"

_Poke. Poke. Poke._

"Sakura."

"What? Quit bothering me! I'm still thinking of a hundred ways to teach you a lesson!"

_Twitch. Twitch._

Sasuke raised a questioning brow. "Teach me a lesson? For what reason?"

_Twitch. Twitch._

Sakura's cheeks went aflame. "Because you're nothing but a perverted maniac!"

_Twitch. Twitch._

_Okay. That's it._

Without a word, he yanked Sakura to him. She opened her mouth to lash out at him when he immediately sealed it with his lips. Only the sounds of struggling and panting could be heard from the two until it was only a matter of time that the sounds turned into moans.

Eventually, Sasuke broke off the kiss for air. He smirked inwardly when he saw Sakura's flushed face. Her slightly parted lips bore teeth marks, which he nibbled affectionately during their kiss. She was now in some kind of a stupor, and Sasuke was a bit proud that he was the one who caused it.

Well that was enough. He shook her shoulder. "All right. Time to go back to reality, Sakura."

Her hazy green eyes blinked right away. She flashed him an angry look. "Why did you do that? You, you…"

He only smirked. "Continue that phrase again and I'll do something more than kissing."

"Mou! You're so mean, Sasuke – kun!" Sakura crossed her arms and pouted. "After admitting your perverted side, you still had the nerve to kiss me!"

Sasuke's smirk turned into a frown. "You're really annoying, Sakura. Where in the right mind did you come up with that idea?"

"What? It's not my fault! You're the one who told me that you peeped at other women's bodies!"

"Oh that?" he asked.

'_That?'_ Inner Sakura ranted. _'He only said 'that'?_ _As if 'that' didn't mean anything to her?'_

Deciding to teach him a lesson, she curled her hand up into a fist. She was about to pound his smug face with it when he grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the ground.

Sakura squeaked. "What are you doing? Let go of me, Sasuke – kun!"

He sighed. "No."

"I mean it," she hissed.

Sasuke glared at her. "I'm not getting off of you unless you tell me what's going on inside that brain of yours."

She blushed. Right now, other than coming up with ways of answering his questions, she was also thinking of very…indecent things. She twisted her head sideways so that he wouldn't see her flaming cheeks. She yelped when she felt his cool hand caress her cheek.

Sasuke leaned closer to her. "You're not answering me, Sakura," he whispered huskily on her ear.

Damn him.

"Why should I? You damn _sukebe_," she replied smugly. The black-haired Uchiha smiled thinly.

She really wants to play, eh?

Spreading his fingers, he placed them flat on Sakura's belly. The look on Sakura's face completely changed from annoyed to surprise when his hand successfully snaked its way underneath her cheongsam. The girl squeaked as she tried to bat his hand away.

"Sasuke-kun!"

"What?"

"Stop!"

"Stop what?"

The girl screeched. "This!"

He leered. "No."

"I said stop doing this or else," she looked up at him and smiled thinly, "You don't want to mess with my other self."

Sasuke wasn't the least bit deterred. He stopped his explorations but kept his hand flat on her stomach. "All right, your royal Highness. Since I obeyed your request perhaps you shall listen to what I'm going to say now."

Sakura stuck her tongue out. "Depends on what you're going to say."

"Hn." He sat up then looked at her. "So what did I do?"

"What did you do? You mean you don't know what you did?" She poked his chest.

He gave her a confusing glare. "I don't, so start giving me an answer!"

She immediately sat up. "You don't know? All right I'll tell you!" She huffed in a breath and glared at him. "I asked you if you peeped at other women's bodies and did you know what your response was?"

"No."

"You said yes! Yes, to admitting that you peeped! You pervert!" Sakura screeched as she covered her face with her hands.

Sasuke sighed. She could be dense sometimes. He grabbed her hand and pulled her against him, forcing her to look up at him. "Look at me Sakura."

"No!"

"If you're not going to do what I'm telling you to do…" He lifted her chin up with his free hand. "I'm really going to do something that'll make you regret getting mad at me."

Sakura stifled a tiny giggle as she felt his other hand again on her stomach. "What are you doing? Sasuke-kun!" Soon she broke into a fit of giggles as Sasuke tickled her mercilessly. "Mou! Sasuke-kun! Stop!" she protested, trying to snag his hand away.

Sasuke brought her wrists up above her head. "Not until you surrender."

"No!"

"No? You should never say no," he grinned as he continued to tickle her.

After countless minutes of tickling which seemed to go on for hours, Sakura gave up. "All right! I give in, I give in! I give up!" Her tear-streaked eyes met Sasuke's. "I'll listen to you. Happy now?"

He stopped tickling her but kept her hands at bay. "Happy. But not satisfied." He lowered his head a few inches away from hers. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't explain myself further. So I'm going to elaborate my previous answer."

He took a deep breath. "Yes. I peeped once. But it's not what you think. You see, I…" A blush crept in his cheeks and he looked down to where he could see the rise and fall of her chest. "The girl I peeped on once was you."

Now it was her turn to blush. "What? That couldn't be true!"

"Oh yes it's true." He gave her a boyish grin. "We even slept together remember?"

"No we didn't!" Her green eyes crinkled. "Did we?"

"Yep we did. After the karaoke."

"But that's impossible!"

"What do you mean impossible?" He moved his head to the side to whisper huskily in her ear. "Shouldn't you be relieved that the one person I settled my sights on was you?"

"Well…I uh…no. But," a grin crossed her face. "You're really a perverted person, Sasuke-kun."

"So you say."

Sakura sighed, admitting defeat. "You're such a bad boy. I can't believe that you're so…"

He raised an eyebrow. "So what?"

She smiled evilly. "Perverted."

"Hn." He bent down to kiss those smirking lips when a crunching sound stopped them. The raven-haired teen immediately sat up. "What the hell was that?"

Sakura raised herself up as well. "That sounds like…could it be?"

They looked at each other, terror shown in their eyes.

"THE POTATO CHIP!!!!"

* * *

Naruto stopped running, feeling the distorted amount of chakra gathering a few kilometers from him, he sweatdropped. '_Just where did that teme take Sakura-chan? Didn't he know that they're in really big trouble now that Chouji's in berserk mode?'_ He mentally smacked himself. 

'_Oh yeah…he's in a love-love situation. Damn him, He should've thought about finishing this mission first before taking off with Sakura-chan!'_ he angrily thought. A slight rustle caused him to snap out of his trance and he saw Shikamaru walking towards his direction with Ino next to him.

"Any word?" he asked by way of greeting.

The two exchanged wary glances.

The blond's arms went limp. "I-I see…"

Ino snapped. "I just can't believe this! We've got to find those two or Chouji will ruin the entire forest! You're so stupid Naruto, if you didn't take the chip away from Chouji this won't happen!"

"Ino…your blood pressure…"

"I can talk whenever I want to talk, Shikamaru!"

"Whatever you say…"

Naruto sighed, putting himself in-between the two bickering shinobi. "Oi, oi! We don't have time to argue all day. Let's just continue searching for Sakura-chan and teme! Chouji might've sniffed their trail by now!"

The two reverted back to their senses. Shikamaru scratched his head idly. "This is really troublesome. I can't believe that those two would cause this much trouble in one day."

Ino bonked him on the head hard. "What do you mean the 'two' of them? If you want someone to blame then choose forehead girl! I don't want to hear you saying bad stuff about Sasuke-kun or you're going to get it!"

The lazy-eyed shinobi raised his hands up in mock surrender. "All right, all right. I surrender. You don't have to threaten me you know."

"Hellooo! Guys! We have to find them now, or else," Naruto reminded them.

"Okay. We got it."

…………

"Sasuke! Where did you hide it?"

"I don't know! But I know that it's got to be here somewhere!"

Sakura fumbled feebly on the grass for the chip. Sasuke did too, and they were having a hard time since there was no indication that the chip was on their hands or that it was dropped on the ground by accident. Or probably, it was crushed on the ground when they tumbled onto each other.

Okay. The crushing part would be a bad idea. If the potato chip were indeed crushed, then their clue would also be crushed. And then…

GAME OVER.

"NO WAY!" the pink-haired girl screeched as she began pulling out the grass from its roots. Sasuke sweatdropped at the display he was seeing.

"Oi, yamero. Even if you pull these grasses out, we'll never be able to find that chip," he said, stopping Sakura from her work.

She looked at him, her green eyes misty. "So what are we going to do? We've got a 170lb Chouji running after our heels, and we left Naruto in Ino's care! To top it all off, we only have two days left! I don't want to lose the game!"

Sasuke patted the top of her head in comfort. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be all right. Let's just keep searching for it."

Sakura nodded weakly. Just then, an idea hit her. Gazing at her teammate's eyes, she gave a sinister smile. She immediately grasped the hem of Sasuke's shirt, surprising him.

"What in the heck are you doing, Sakura?"

She gave a haughty cackle, just like the one witches used. She gripped the shirt tightly afterwards, began to pull it up, little by little. Uchiha's eyes went wide, grasping both her wrists. "Stop!"

She gave him an innocent smile. "Why? It's not like I'm…" His shirt inched further up, exposing his flat abdomen. "…Taking…" A smile slowly made its way across her face. "Advantage of…" The sight of his well-crafted chest took her breath away. "…You," she finished coyly.

He tried to bat her hands away but she wouldn't let him. Sakura giggled as she ran her free hand down the length of his stomach. He was becoming irritated by the minute and if Sakura didn't stop touching his stomach…

"I said stop it, Sakura!"

Instead of stopping, she giggled more. Her green eyes crinkled with amusement as she caused the Uchiha to squirm more. This dominating-the-other game proved to be much fun than she thought it would.

"Take off your shirt, Sasuke-kun."

* * *

A/N: And that's the end of our chapter! I'm still re-orienting myself because of my almost one-year hiatus from this story. In this chapter, Chouji is still chasing after them because they stole his potato chip, which, at the same time, is their only clue to their next mission. How they'll calm our potato-chip loving friend…we'll know in the next chapter! Many thanks to our readers who still read this story! If you have any questions or suggestions, you can leave me a message. I'll be more than happy to hear from you. Ja ne! 


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